The Parent Trap
by bec1001
Summary: Ryan and Marissa split and each takes one of their twin daughters with them. When the girls find each other and find out about all that has been hidden from them, their secret past is unlocked: the world of Newport Beach, their parents, and their history.
1. Chapter 1

"This isn't working out," Ryan said, partially to Marissa, the beautiful woman he was married to, and partially to himself. She sat on the sofa in the corner, her eyes not meeting his—not daring to—but instead watching their two young daughters playing on the floor, oblivious to their parents' struggles.

"I know," she whispered, in a voice that was strong yet quieter than a whisper. Finally Marissa looked up, gazed into his eyes. He sat on the edge of the bed, analyzing her movements.

"Are we…over?" Ryan asked hesitantly, unsure of her reaction, unsure of his own. They had come so far, done so much. He didn't know how it could be over with just a goodbye.

"We've been over for a long time," Marissa reminded him gently. He nodded in admission. He knew it, too.

"What about the girls?" Ryan asked. Their little girls, twins, were playing together happily. Both had the perfect golden blond hair; the perfect big blue eyes. They were the perfect combination of Ryan and Marissa. They were close to a year old. Elly and Haley. They were perfect.

"I'll take them…" Marissa trailed off, eyes glistening with the beginnings of salty tears.

"No. They're as much mine as yours," Ryan said firmly. "You can't do that."

"Well, you're not taking them either," she told him defensively.

"I can take them one week, and then we'll switch off?" Ryan suggested dubiously. She looked at him with tear-filled eyes.

"I'm not staying in New York," Marissa reminded him, softly. "I'm going to go to LA, you know." She already spent most of her time there, modeling and acting. Her fame was growing. They knew that Marissa was set to be the next celebrity. It was probably one of the reasons they were doing what they were doing. Splitting up.

"Then we can't send them back and forth. With school, and…"

"We'll have to split them up," Marissa said quietly, affirming their fears.

"They can never know," Ryan told her, running his hand through his sandy blond hair in anxiety and frustration. "There can never be any contact. They'd hate us; hate what we did."

"Not a word, then," she agreed. "They won't know about having a twin, or another parent…"

"Okay," Ryan nodded.

"I'll take Elly?" She asked, looking at him almost for permission. But no permission needed to be given. It was already obvious that Elly was going to be a mini-Marissa. Already, she was the drama queen, and Marissa's favorite.

"And I'll take Haley," Ryan nodded. Haley was quieter, more reserved—she was more of Ryan. His favorite. Though both loved each of their daughters more than anything else in their lives.

"Alright," Marissa said. She lifted Haley up. "This is the last time we'll see each other. But remember, Hales, that your mommy loves you very, very much. Good luck. Bye, sweetie." She kissed Haley's smooth, perfect cheek. She had to say goodbye to her daughter. It pierced her heart.

Ryan did the same with Elly. "Be good to your mom, and remember that your dad loves you more than you'll ever know, and hopes that you'll do well out there. Goodbye, Elly." He kissed her, and he and Marissa switched the girls back.

"We'll walk you to the door," Ryan said, as he carried Haley out, following Marissa and Elly. They walked silently through the expansive penthouse that Ryan had built. His architectural firm was doing well; their buildings won awards—and more than enough money—routinely. The Atwood family was extremely wealthy.

"I guess this is it," Marissa whispered, as she placed her hand on the doorknob. But she couldn't bring herself to open it. Her hand shook.

"Here," Ryan said caringly. He put his hand over hers, helping her open the door. He could still stop her from shaking, stop her from being afraid, but the sparks weren't there anymore. There was no electricity coming from their touch.

"Goodbye, Ryan," She whispered, as she turned to allow their blue eyes to connect for the last time. She cracked a small smile and laughed lightly, "Ry."

"Bye, Riss," He said. She began to walk away from the door, away from her daughter, away from the one man she'd ever truly loved.

Ryan watched as she and Elly turned the corner in the hallway and disappeared forever. He couldn't watch them go.

"Wait!" He screamed. He flung the door open wildly, readjusting Haley on his side, and ran after them. He stuck his arm in the path of the closing elevator door. "Wait, Marissa, wait! We can work this out! We can figure everything out again…we can learn…"

"Learn how to be a couple again?" She whispered, but in Ryan's ears her words rung icily, stabbing him. "Ryan, there's nothing left."

"If you want to stay here, figuring things out…" he began, but she shook her head, no.

"We're going to LA," Marissa said. "I'll miss you, Ryan. I'll cherish these years…these ten years, since we met, in that driveway—I'll cherish these years forever."

"I'll never forget," He smiled nostalgically. The words bubbled, tingled in her throat. She couldn't leave without saying them one last time.

"Who are you?" She said, in that same lilting tone that she still had.

His eyes bore the remnants of a twinkle that she hadn't seen in a long time. Too long. "Whoever you want me to be."

The elevator began to beep repeatedly, signaling that the door was about to close. Before he could figure out what he was doing, Ryan put his lips to hers and kissed her.

She was taken by surprise, but didn't pull back. They were lost in the moment, lost in the kiss, but they were not lost in love or lust. There was no more love or lust, and they knew it. They were not Ryan and Marissa any longer. The spark was gone.

Ryan pulled away and watched the door begin to close slowly, watched the image of his first love and his daughter slowly disappear.

"El-lee," Haley said, as soon as they were really, truly gone. Her very first word. Marissa would never know. Neither would Elly.

"Hay-lee," Elly said, when the downward motion of the elevator had begun and they were really leaving. Marissa's heart broke. Ryan and Haley would never know.

Ryan stood, Haley in his arms, staring at the closed elevator door, for almost an hour, waiting for it to be nothing, waiting for Marissa and Elly to show up again, crying, begging forgiveness. Waiting for them to return, for them to be a family again.

But they weren't a family anymore. It was really, truly, over.

And that was that.


	2. Chapter 2

SIXTEEN YEARS LATER

"Elly?" Marissa gasped, sprinting into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at ten AM on Sunday morning.

"Hey, Mom," Elly smiled weakly from her hospital bed.

"Sweetie, what happened?" Marissa asked worriedly.

"Nothing, Mom, I'm fine," Elly insisted. Marissa looked at her sixteen-year-old daughter dubiously.

"Oh, you're not fine," a nurse reminded her, stepping in. "Ms. Cooper! Finally! Thank heavens."

"I'm sorry," Marissa apologized guiltily. "I was…"

"You don't need excuses, Mom," Elly said coldly, staring at Marissa with her piercing blue eyes. Marissa became quiet instantly. The only ones who had ever been able to do that to her were Elly, and Ryan. Ryan. She shut her eyes to keep thoughts of him out of her head. She couldn't deal with those thoughts right now.

"Your daughter," The nurse began. "Passed out while dancing atop a table at a club called 'Mood'?"

"Elly," Marissa sighed, dismayed.

"She was extremely drunk, and had several different pain medications in her system, as well as a small amount of cocaine. During her physical exam once she was brought in, we found several deep cuts on her body that appear to be evidence of your daughter cutting herself with a razor blade or knife."

"Did you…" Marissa whispered, looking pained. Her eyes burned. Elly looked down, her eyes not meeting her mother's.

"It was just the one time," Elly said quietly.

"What happened?" Marissa asked gently. She looked away for a moment, seeing the nurse's hawk-like gaze fixed upon them. "If you could excuse us?" She asked politely.

"Absolutely, Ms. Cooper," the nurse nodded. Nobody ever hesitated when Marissa said anything. She still modeled, now 41; she tried to be involved, she really did. But Elly was just like she had once been—fiercely independent, rebellious, and a party girl—and it was hard for her to maintain a good relationship with Elly, unlike the one she had had once with Julie, while still disciplining her. She ended up not really disciplining her at all.

"Elly, sweetheart," Marissa said. She pulled over a stool and sat at her daughter's bedside. "Please tell me what's been going on."

"I don't know," Elly whispered, pain in her eyes. "Everything just started falling apart, and…"

"When did it start?" Marissa asked gently. "I know about the drinking, and the partying, Elly. The rest, I mean."

Elly looked at her mother. "Me and Ben…the cutting was just like twice. The meds and the coke, maybe a few more times."

"Ben…" Marissa trailed off, trying to remember who Ben was.

"My boyfriend. On-and-off. As of last night, off," Elly explained. "Mom, he's been my boyfriend for like, a year."

"I'm sorry," Marissa apologized. "I should know who he is…"

"Yeah, you should," Elly said accusingly.

"Oh come on, honey. Cut me a break here. I've been—"

"Busy," Elly filled in for her angrily. "I know. You were busy when I got the lead role in my fourth grade play. You were busy during tennis championships in not only sixth grade but seventh, too. You were too busy to visit me in the hospital when I was there for two nights after I fell down an escalator and broke my arm in eighth grade. You were always just too busy, weren't you."

The only two people who could paralyze her with a speech like that were Elly, and Ryan. But Ryan had rarely made those speeches. Ryan had rarely spoken; when she thought about it, she hadn't really either. But she tried not to think of what Ryan would think of her right now. As a mother. Because she knew, already. She hung her head in shame. Her eyes burned.

"I don't know what to say," Marissa said. "Except for that I'm sorry. I should have been there for you. And I wasn't."

"No kidding," Elly smirked. There was a silence.

"Do you remember when you tried pot?" Marissa whispered, her eyes shut tightly.

"Sixth grade," Elly smiled nostalgically. Then she frowned. "I haven't been addicted, or anything, though. Not to the alcohol, or the coke, or the pills. Really, I promise."

"I know. I believe you. But there's always been something, Elly." Marissa sighed. "I don't know what to do. I'm not going to ground you."

"I swear I'll be good," Elly begged, eyes shining hopefully. "I'll study, I won't go out, I'll be perfect."

"You can't be perfect, though," Marissa said sadly. "It took me way too long to figure that out. You can't figure that out in this world."

"Then what?" Elly asked, waiting for her fate.

"Rehab, or New York, with Grandma Julie," Marissa said abruptly. She knew she was making the right choice, for her daughter. Probably. She hoped.

Elly frowned unhappily.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey sweetie," Ryan grinned as he noticed his daughter at the kitchen table on his way to work. "You doing alright?"

"Yeah," Haley mumbled. "Lots of work."

"Anything I can help with?" Ryan offered.

"Not really. You can proofread when I'm done, if you want," Haley replied. She swiveled her laptop so he could see what she was working on. "History paper," she explained with a smile.

"Not my forte," he laughed. "But I'd be happy to. I'll be home around seven, okay?"

"Yeah," Haley nodded. "How's Thai for dinner? I'll order?"

"Fantastic," Ryan grinned. "Call the office if you need me, honey."

"Bye, Dad," Haley said, waving. Then she paused. "Hey, Dad?"

"Yeah?" Ryan asked, coming back into the kitchen.

"That tie really doesn't work with the outfit," she said. "I can't let you leave the house like that. I could never forgive myself."

"Alright," Ryan groaned. He came back moments later, displaying a striped navy-and-blue tie. "This one good?"

"Better," Haley sighed. "I swear, you'll never get it right."

"Maybe someday," Ryan said, his jaw stiffening. Jesus. She was just like Marissa. She really was.

"Hey, Dad?" Haley said, all of a sudden serious.

"Yeah?"

"Did Mom ever help you with your ties?" Haley asked. Once and a while her curiosity got the better of her. She knew her dad hated any questions involving her mom—he had given her the story that she'd left them, when she had been a baby, and he had never heard from her again. A partial truth. But she always wondered. Who she was, what she looked like. There were no photos of her, no signs of her, nothing. There was just her father, drowned in his work, obviously still in love with the woman who was completely gone. Haley had always known that he made himself busy to get away from his lack of a love life and the pain her runaway mother still caused him.

"Sometimes, sweetie," Ryan said casually, trying to avoid the conversation. Haley could tell. But he couldn't help how his heart burned when he realized how aware Haley was. She was growing up. "Now I better run. See you tonight!"

"Bye," Haley whispered. For the first time, she doubted her dad. She wondered how much there was to the story that she didn't know. How much her dad wasn't telling her. And why he wasn't.

…

"You'll be okay on the plane by yourself?" Marissa asked again.

"Yes, Mom. Take a breath. And duck, paparazzo at three o'clock," Elly said, raising her eyebrows in the direction of a short man with a camera, shooting away so he could get his paycheck from Star or Us Weekly or one of those rags. Marissa grabbed Elly's hand and pulled her to a more secluded spot behind a column. Elly sighed. It had always been their life. She had gotten used to the sunglasses and the hiding. She hated it; but it was the way it was. She knew that.

"And you're sure you want to go stay with Grandma Julie in New York, over going to rehab? There are some really nice places, and—" Marissa began.

"I'll be perfectly fine. There's probably more of a social scene in New York than Minnesota or wherever you'd send me," Elly laughed.

"But you're going to be good, right? No drinking? No big parties where there is drinking? Just studying and making some nice, quiet, friends?" Marissa asked hopefully, though she knew that it was her daughter, it was Elly, and that was probably too much to ask.

"Of course. Wouldn't you say that Chelsea is studious?" Elly retorted sarcastically, referring to best friend, probably the only one with a bigger hard-partier reputation than Elly herself and set of celebrity parents of her own. Chelsea's mom was a big-time actress; her dad was an ex-rock-star.

"Right," Marissa laughed, though even Elly's joke scared her. "You're sure you're okay with the name? You remember your story?" To keep Elly's story and her background a secret, Elly was going to enroll in school in New York with a fake name. She would be known as Elly Avery instead of Elly Cooper. Marissa's publicist had concocted a background for her client's daughter, which involved being a wild-child from Denver.

"Of course, Mom."

"Right," Marissa laughed. She began to tear up. "I guess this is it. Have a really good flight, Ell. Call me when you land. And have an amazing time, okay?"

"Okay," Elly said.

"I love you," Marissa smiled, hugging Elly tightly.

"Love you too," Elly replied, hugging her back.

Marissa watched her daughter walk through the gate and out of her sight. She hated watching people she loved disappear. Hated watching them slowly fade away, erasing themselves from the story of her life. They always did.

Five and a half hours later, Elly walked off the plane and immediately recognized her Grandma Julie. Julie still had her same face (thanks to some Botox and a facelift or two) and the same hair (thanks to a good salon with good dye) and the same personality (which needed no help at all). Elly had always liked her grandma, even if her mother didn't get along with her perfectly.

"Elly! Sweetie!" Julie called, rushing over. "Welcome!"

"Thanks," Elly smiled. "Are we going to your apartment?"

Elly had never actually been to her grandmother's apartment, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Julie made visits to LA several times a year, but Elly had never visited. In fact, Elly had never been to New York. Once and a while Marissa went for a shoot or for fashion week, but Elly was never brought along. She had never thought it peculiar until just then.

"Of course," Julie smiled. "We'll just grab a cab, your mom said your stuff is being shipped."

"Should get here tonight," Elly nodded.

"Perfect. Then we'll go?"

Elly looked around her, at the business, the excitement, and the noise of New York City.

"Perfect," she said, smiling to herself. And she followed Julie.

"So, school tomorrow," Julie smiled. "You excited?"

"It's going to be hard, isn't it," Elly laughed, knowing that Marissa had enrolled her at a prestigious private school. She went to a good school in LA too, but it was also the type of school where the more famous your parents, the less work you had to do to get by, and everyone was out partying all night, every night.

"Yep," Julie nodded. "The Parry School. Doesn't that sound nice? Very classy, respectable. Sort of like the Harbor School, you know?"

"The Harbor School?" Elly asked confusedly. "What's that?"

"That's where your mom—" Julie froze, biting her lip. Harbor was very much on Marissa's don't-bring-up list. She cursed herself mentally. She had been given very strict instructions from Marissa about bringing up her past. "Had a cousin who went there."

"Mom has a cousin?" Elly asked interestedly. "I didn't know that."

"She, um, died," Julie said, smiling to try and keep up her lie. Then she realized what her lie was about and put on her sad face. "Terrible car accident. She was a heavy drinker. Alcoholism, it runs in the family, you know. So don't start, okay, Ell?"

"Course not," Elly smirked, even though she knew Julie knew about her drinking. "I'd never."

"Good," Julie said firmly, glad she put a little life-lesson into her lie. She felt slightly less guilty about spitting out a complete mistruth to her only grandchild. Well. Sort of. "Here we are."

They went upstairs and Julie showed Elly her new room for the time being.

"Do you like it?" Julie asked.

"Of course," Elly said, smiling at the purple and white room. "It's great. Thanks."

"Sure, sweetie," Julie nodded.

"Now, if you don't mind, I think I'm going to lie down," Elly explained.

"Oh, of course. If you're hungry, we can have dinner, or not. I know it's been a long day."

"Yeah," Elly lied. Lying, as well as alcoholism, seemed to run in the family. Julie left the room.

Elly pulled a shiny silver flask out of her vintage Fendi purse. She twisted the cap and tilted it back, letting the cool, burning liquid sear her throat. She chugged it for a moment, and then set the flask back down on the table, a bit dizzy and discombobulated.

Then she grinned, and picked the flask up again.


	4. Chapter 4

"Want me to walk you?" Julie offered.

"No, I'll be okay," Elly said. "Thanks."

"Ninety-first between Madison and Fifth, okay? Cross Park, walk up a block, turn right, and walk three blocks down Madison. Cross Madison, and it will be a little bit further down Ninety-first. You got it?"

"Yeah," Elly nodded. She slung her pink schoolbag, her favorite Longchamp, over her shoulder, and walked out of Julie's Park Avenue apartment building. She headed towards school.

"Hey, this Parry?" Elly asked a guy standing outside of a big brick building. The American and school flags hanging over big blue door made it pretty obvious. But she could play dumb as good as anyone else.

"Yup," he nodded. "You new or something?"

"Yeah," She replied. She sat down next to him on the bench outside the building and swung her bag up next to her. "So what's up with this place? Give me the lowdown."

"It's hard, but if you fit in, it's all okay." He explained.

"So do you fit in?" Elly asked flirtily. He was cute—cute enough to last her a while. She was a serial dater, minus her escapades with Ben, and she thought that he would do. She looked at his curly honey-colored hair, bright green eyes, and probably perfect abs. His baggy polo shirt made it hard for her to tell. She smiled to herself as she thought that she would know soon enough.

"I guess," he said. He looked at her closely and she felt his eyes scan her. "So what's up with, you know, starting in the middle of the year?"

"I guess I sort of needed a break," she said, trying to sound as vague as possible.

"Break from what?" He asked. She knew she wasn't supposed to say anything, about the drinking and the parties. She wasn't supposed to say anything about being Marissa Cooper's daughter, either. But it was hard to help.

"Drinking. Partying. I don't know, it was just hard to stop," she explained.

"I know what you mean," he agreed, grinning impishly. Oh, you probably don't, Elly thought to herself, smiling inwardly. "What's your name, anyway? You look familiar."

"Um, Elly. Elly Avery," she said nervously. She didn't want anyone to know who she was. In LA, she spent her entire life being shadowed by her last name and her mom's celebrity. Now she had a chance. A new city, a new life, a new name. Maybe Elly Avery and Elly Cooper could be two different people. Maybe she really could find a new way to have fun. Maybe she could be that academic girl. She'd always loved to act—Elly Avery could be her newest persona.

"Graham," He said, flashing her a perfect white grin, and her heart immediately jolted.

Scratch that. She was not going to be the academic girl. Not with that smile.


	5. Chapter 5

"I have to go to the office," Kate told her best friend, Haley, as they walked into their school building. "I'm supposed to tour some new girl today."

"Middle of the year?" Kate asked, frowning slightly. Parry never accepted people mid-year.

"Who knows," Kate shrugged. "She's from Denver or something."

"Okay," Haley replied. "Want me to come? To the office?"

"Sure, whatever," Kate smiled.

"Let's go," Haley said. They continued on through the hallways of Parry, past classrooms upon classrooms of overachievers and the overindulged, past the bright and the beautiful, and wondered who this new girl would be.

"Hey, Haley!" Haley turned, shocked, in the middle of the hall. Aiden, the gorgeous jock who usually had several obnoxious girls with short skirts and stick legs hanging off of him, was calling her. Haley had been completely infatuated with him since seventh grade. He had brown hair, gray eyes, and had the most gorgeous body that Parry had seen in a while.

"Breathe, Hales," Kate instructed, seeing her friend freeze up when popular Aiden called after her. "Be cool, act normal, and meet me in front of the office afterwards. Okay?" She glanced at Haley once more before rushing off towards the office.

"Okay," Haley nodded, feeling slightly faint, though Kate was already gone. She spun around and found herself face-to-face with Aiden. "Hey, Aiden. What's up?"

"Just wondering if you…wanted to go out to this party downtown tonight?" He asked. "Or, this weekend, if you're busy tonight or something…" He shuffled his feet awkwardly.

"Yeah, tonight's great," she replied, flashing him a grin, catching her breath. Inside, her head spun. Aiden. Asking her out. She couldn't believe it. He nodded enthusiastically.

"Awesome. I'll pick you up at seven?"

"Perfect," she said. She smiled again before bouncing off towards the office, completely thrilled. The Parry School was full of rich, beautiful teenagers. To stand out, you needed more than a wealthy dad and blond hair, and Haley had always been the quiet, nerdy type. But now there was Aiden. She thought her heart might burst.

…

"I'm new?" She said to the secretary, unsure of what she should do.

"You're Elizabeth Avery, aren't you?" The woman said.

"Yes," Elly nodded. "Elly's fine, though. Elly with a 'Y'."

"Elly," the woman agreed. "I'm Mrs. Danton."

"Nice to meet you," Elly said, trying to be polite.

"Your guide will be here any minute. Her name's Kate. Such a nice girl. Smart, too. People say she's a shoe-in for Princeton."

This mattered little to Elly, but she knew how she was expected to respond. "Great," Elly gave the woman one of her mother's patented phony smiles, which, as expected, pleased Mrs. Danton well enough.

Finally two girls came into the office. The girl with the auburn hair and hazel eyes smiled. "Hi, Mrs. Danton." She turned to Elly and grinned. "You must be Elly?"

"Yep," Elly said.

"I'm Kate, your guide," the girl explained. "This is my friend, Haley."

Haley stepped out from behind Kate.

There was a moment when it seemed everything froze. Haley and Elly were completely identical. They had the same golden blond hair; the same enormous, bright blue eyes; the same tall, lanky body. Mrs. Danton and Kate both stared at the two girls, astonished and confused.

"Kate," Audrey said, still in a stupor.

"You two are almost like twins," Mrs. Danton laughed merrily. "That's hilarious."

Haley blinked. This girl looked like her reflection. She couldn't think. Before she realized what she was doing, she slammed the office door open and sprinted out into the hallway, into the mass of people heading towards their first classes.

Maybe Aiden wasn't all hers yet. Now that there was this other girl. Just like her, but probably normal. Outgoing, funny, talkative. Maybe she would be popular. All the things that Haley had never been and never would be. She went into the bathroom, hid in a stall, and cried.

Elly Avery. She hated the name and the girl it belonged to already.


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey again," Elly said, plopping down next to Graham in the school cafeteria. Graham looked at her, surprised but pleased.

"Hey," he said. "Elly."

"Graham," she nodded, grinning. "So I was wondering…is there some sort of fabulous New York party you wanted to take me to tonight? To introduce me to a wonderful life of "fitting in" at Parry?" Her flirty, confident side came out. She couldn't hide Elly Cooper. She had tried, and failed. Now she was simply going to take advantage of the situation: being stuck in New York, and being with a nice, sweet, and gorgeous guy. She was good at taking advantage of situations. She had been doing that ever since she was little. She took advantage when her mom would go away to London or Milan or Paris for photo shoots and runway shows, and she would be able to guilt her mother into getting her whatever she wanted. Marissa had always felt terrible about being away so much. Elly was good at realizing something sucked, and then just getting whatever she could out of it

"Um, okay," he agreed. "There's some thing downtown tonight...want to come?"

"I'm in," Elly declared triumphantly. She grabbed his hand, scribbled Julie's address on his palm, and just as quickly disappeared.

Before she left, she made sure to graze his arm.

"You're sure you'll be okay?" Ryan asked his daughter worriedly. "You have everything? Cash? Cell phone? Emergency numbers?"

"Oh my god, Dad. Give it a rest. I'm sixteen freaking years old." Haley groaned.

"You know I'm just overprotective. So you're all set?" He repeated.

"For the very last time, yes."

"You never go out, Hales. I'm allowed to make sure that everything will go smoothly."

"Thanks for the self-esteem boost," Haley smiled sarcastically. "You're the best."

"I try," Ryan laughed. "Bye! Have fun!"

Haley went down to meet Aiden in the lobby.

"I told your mother I wouldn't let you go out," Julie reminded Elly, pursing her lips. "This is complete betrayal. I'm basically lying by omission."

"It's what my mom has been doing her whole life," Elly reminded her grandmother.

Julie paled suddenly, her face draining of color. "Elly? You know?"

"What?" Elly asked. "I meant, about pretending that I wasn't party-girl-Elly even when she knew I was. What do you mean, I know?"

"Never mind," Julie said quickly, looking away. She pinched herself as punishment for almost letting the secrets out again. "I won't tell her as long as you don't tell her that I'm not telling her."

"I don't want to get in trouble either," Elly replied to Julie. "I'll be home…"

"By midnight," Julie warned.

"One," Elly bartered. She had always gotten whatever she wanted.

"Twelve thirty," Julie relented.

"Unless I call and I'm completely safe and I'm making friends—the studious, quiet kind—and I'm having the time of my life?" Elly begged.

"Fine, fine. Now go before whatever that kid's name leaves. Cracker boy."

"His name is Graham, Grandma Julie," Elly groaned.

"Grandma Julie. Please, Elly, honey, don't say grandma. It pains me. I'm not that old, am I?"

"Not even close," Elly laughed. She let herself out the door.

"Hey," Aiden smiled as he saw Haley walk down the stairs. She was wearing a jean skirt with a silk halter top and pumps. Her hair was loose and wavy, and her makeup was perfect. "You look…wow."

"Thanks," she replied shyly. She was never the one to go out like this. The experience was awkward and amazing and surreal. A guy had never picked her up. She'd never gone to an actual party that didn't star a group of eleven-year-old girls and a chick flick.

"Anyway, I got the cab driver to wait outside," Aiden told her. "Ready?"

"Yeah," she nodded, and followed him out into the real world. She felt as though it were her first time in it.

"Ready for take-off, Miss Partier?" Graham joked as he ushered Elly into a cab.

"Ready for action, Mr. Fitting In," she answered back cheekily.

"Good. By the way, you look amazing," he smiled.

"Thanks," she laughed. She looked down at her outfit—jean skirt, silk halter top, pumps, carefully perfected makeup. She hoped it would be good.

"Then we're off," Graham announced, and they were gone.

"Can I go grab you a drink?" Graham asked Elly when they entered the dimly lit, booming club.

"As long as it's spiked," Elly smiled, nodding.

"But of course," he said, walking off.

As soon as he reached the bar, he saw Aiden. They had always been enemies, always fighting over everything, from being the star lacrosse player on Parry's team or Taryn Chessman, the hot freshman, at the beginning of the year.

"Graham," Aiden said, snarling.

"Aiden. What a surprise," Graham sneered back.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Wherever I go, you have to follow, don't you? Is this some sort of game?" Graham asked angrily.

Before Aiden could snap back, a tall, thin, blond-haired girl approached him, slipped her hand into his, and smiled up at him.

"And you have to find Elly's freaking twin, also. Typical."

"She's not my twin," the girl told him seriously. "I'm Haley. I've never seen her before today, swear."

"Yeah, dude. Chill, won't you?" Aiden laughed, weirded out.

Elly appeared next to Graham, unaware of Aiden and Haley standing right there, and smiled at him. "How about I get us some drinks instead?"

"Holy shit," Aiden gasped, seeing the girl.

Elly and Haley locked eyes, and before they knew what was happening, Aiden and Graham were attacking each other.

Graham punched Aiden in the face several times before Aiden got him in the stomach. After a little more than a minute, four beefy security guys entered and dragged the two boys out, beckoning Haley and Elly to follow them. The guys were brought into an office in the back once their status as minors had become obvious. Haley and Elly were left to sit on the stoop outside and wait for Aiden and Graham. They didn't speak to each other.

Then Haley looked at the girl who was practically identical to her. She had to say something. "So where are you from, anyway?"

"Denver," Elly said, not looking at Haley. Haley could sense automatically that the girl was lying, somehow. It was like she could read into her head.

"Really?" Haley asked.

"No," Elly admitted. She turned and looked at Haley, and their eyes connected, as if something magnetic was forcing them to talk to each other. "LA."

"Huh," Haley nodded. "Why'd you move?"

"Too much drinking, too much partying, I passed out at a club, I was cutting, they found cocaine and some pills in me," Elly said simply, bluntly. Haley was taken aback. Elly knew she shouldn't have told Haley what she had, but she felt like she couldn't lie to this girl, for some reason, even though lying is what she had always done, what had come naturally to her. She felt awkward all of a sudden. She was Marissa Cooper's daughter. She was never supposed to be unsure or awkward. It wasn't in her blood. But it was different, now, somehow. She shivered. For the first time in her life, she felt vulnerable and unsure of herself.

"Wow," Haley said, trying to express nonchalance. "Kind of intense."

"Yeah. My mom…it wouldn't have been good if I had stayed at home. Our relationship is kind of weird, and her job kind of requires everyone around her to at least have the image of being good. Don't ask," Elly smiled, not knowing why she was divulging all this information to a girl who she'd never even met.

"She in show business?" Haley asked.

"I shouldn't tell you this," Elly said, biting her lip. "I mean, it's supposed to be a complete secret. But I will, if you'll keep it a secret?"

"Yeah, okay," Haley replied.

"She models," Elly said, sighing. "She's kind of big-deal."

"Nice," Haley answered. "I wonder…"

"What?" Elly asked.

"You know," Haley urged on. "Why we…"

"It's kind of weird," Elly agreed. "We can't be related, right?"

"As far as I know, my dad's only actual sibling would never have hooked up with a model, and my mom hasn't been in the picture…ever," Haley said. "My dad was adopted, so the family he actually, like, talks to, doesn't look like him that much at all."

"That's cool," Elly nodded. "My dad hasn't been a part of my life at all either. My mom's only sibling is her sister, who has no kids. It's gotta be something, though."

"I know," Haley said.

Elly's cell phone ring. "Sorry," she apologized. "One sec."

"Ell?" A voice asked quietly on the other end.

"Mom?" Elly asked worriedly. "What's going on?"

"It's Ben, sweetie," she said.

"You don't even know Ben!" Elly said, a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"I'm so sorry, Elly," Marissa whispered. "He's…gone."

"Well, where did he go?" Elly asked naively.

"No, he's like, gone, sweetheart. He died."

Elly closed her eyes, trying to block the searing pain that her mother's words brought to her head. It didn't work. Never did.

"He overdosed, baby," Marissa said. "I don't know the details, but he was at Teddy's, the club, with your friend Chelsea, and he collapsed. She called the house from the hospital right after they said he was…"

Chelsea. Ben. Overdose. Dead. The words rung in Elly's head, echoing, screaming, burning her mind. In a moment of panic, she threw the cell phone down, stepping on it with a tall Manolo Blahnik stiletto, watching it smash to pieces. She couldn't even notice Haley's expression in the whirlwind. She did the only thing she knew how to do.

Elly raced back into the club, not stopped by anyone, locking herself in a bathroom stall. She took the only friend she'd ever really trusted, the shiny silver flask, out of her purse. She poured the liquid down her throat, more and more, until she couldn't feel her throat anymore. She took the razor from her clutch and she carefully sliced it through her skin, watching satisfied as maroon blood escaped her body and the colors of the room swirled together as the heavy alcohol began to take its powerful effect.

Then the colors were gone, and in an instant it was completely dark. And she collapsed.


	7. Chapter 7

Haley tried to find Elly after she'd raced off, wondering what had happened. Ten minutes later she went into the bathroom, and immediately realized the scene in front of her.

She had never been around anyone who got into that sort of thing, but she knew what to do. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed 911. Somehow, the trials and tribulations of this near-stranger were suddenly and strangely frightening. She waited for the ambulance.

"Dad?" She asked when her father picked up the phone.

"Hales? Where are you?" Ryan demanded nervously. It was far past the time he had expected she'd be home, though he'd given her no specific curfew.

"I'm at the hospital," Haley admitted, sighing.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Ryan asked frantically, worrying for his only daughter. Well. Almost only daughter.

"I'm fine. A friend of mine kind of passed out. We were talking, and then her phone rang, and she flipped out. When I found her, she was in the bathroom passed out with a flask and a razor."

"Oh, Haley," Ryan sighed, dismay conveyed to her in his tone. "You sure you're okay? Are the girl's parents there?"

"No," Haley admitted. "She smashed her phone when she flipped out, so all the numbers are gone. I have no idea how to contact anyone. She's new, she's from LA. Except, she's saying she's from Denver. Nobody's supposed to know she's from LA."

"Okay," Ryan said confusedly. "I'll come down there, okay? Which hospital?"

"We're at NYU Downtown," Haley said. A doctor approached her. "Dad, I have to go."

"I'm on my way, sweetheart," Ryan told her. "Bye."

"You're Ms. Atwood?" The doctor asked Haley. "You came in with Ms. Avery?"

"Yeah," Haley nodded. "Will she be okay?"

"We pumped her stomach. She'll be up within the hour. Those cuts will take a while to heal, but…"

"Thank you," Haley said earnestly.

"Did you find a way to contact a relative?" The doctor asked her.

"She broke her cell phone," Haley explained apologetically. "My dad's on the way and he'll figure something out."

"Okay," the doctor agreed. "You can go see her in ten or fifteen minutes, okay?"

"Thanks," Haley nodded. He walked away.

…

Elly opened her big blue eyes and blinked repetitively, trying to block out the florescent lights. She recognized those florescent lights. A hospital. She was in a hospital. Again. Her mom was going to flip out. But then she thought of Ben. He was gone—dead. She then realized that Haley was sitting on a chair in the corner.

"Hey," Haley smiled when she saw Elly awake. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit, maybe a bit worse," Elly replied, cracking a smile. "You came all the way here with me?"

"Of course," Haley smiled. "We're friends now, aren't we?"

"Yeah," Elly said decidedly, looking at the girl across from her. "We are."

"So, you want to call your mom or someone? The doctor wanted me to. My dad's on his way, just because they needed some sort of adult here."

"Thanks," Elly said sincerely. "I'll call my grandmother. I'm staying with her."

"Here's the phone," Haley said, passing it off.

Elly dialed, and waited. The answering machine. "I got her machine. My mom will be out, even with the time change and all. I'll try again in a few minutes."

"Okay," Haley said. "Oh, here's my dad." She noticed Ryan through the glass window.

Ryan came into the room.

"Haley!" He exclaimed. He turned around and noticed the girl in the bed. He felt the world begin to spin. "Oh my god."

"What's wrong, Dad?" Haley asked. "Dad?"

"Elly," Ryan whispered, going over to the bed. "Elly."

"How did you know her name?" Haley asked. "I didn't tell you her name."

"Elly," he repeated, ignoring Haley.

"Um…" Elly said awkwardly.

"Elly…Cooper, I guess," Ryan said again, putting his hand on his forehead, his eyes wide.

"How did you know that?" Elly asked, frustrated. Her persona was found out.

"Then...is your mom Marissa Cooper?" Haley asked in awe, citing the name of the tall, gorgeous model-turned-actress who repeatedly showed up on fashion magazine covers and in the pages of the trashy tabloids Haley couldn't help but leaf through. Elly nodded weakly. "That's incredible!" Haley gasped. "Oh my god!"

"Believe me, it's not," Elly said sourly. Both girls looked at Ryan, who was still pale, silent, and in shock.

"Dad? You okay?" Haley prompted Ryan.

"I don't know how to tell you this," he said suddenly.

"Tell me what?" Elly demanded.

"Tell her what?" Haley demanded.

"You're…twins," he said quietly. There was no sound.


	8. Chapter 8

"Oh. My. God." Haley and Elly both whispered, astonished.

"Dad?" Haley whispered hesitantly. "Care to like…elaborate? Seeing as you've already, like, changed my life to extraordinary levels? Although I'm not sure how I can actually trust you as you've lied to me for the past sixteen years."

"I'm sorry," Ryan said. "Honestly, it was the only thing we could do…"

"Who is we?" Elly asked quietly, curiously. "You and…my mom?"

"Marissa and I were married," Ryan admitted. "We had you girls. We loved you; we loved you so much. Then…stuff happened. Marissa was going to become a huge star, we both realized that. We grew apart. There were reports of her being with this director, and this other guy, and she accused me of cheating on her, too…our relationship was over. We split up."

"So my mom took me to LA…" Elly began.

"And you kept me." Haley finished.

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way, you weren't supposed to ever…" Ryan sighed, hesitating.

"So you wanted to keep this secret forever? Wanted us to each only have one parent?" Haley demanded.

"Haley," Ryan began, pained. "We didn't mean for it to be like that. It was—the only way, we thought."

"Would you have ever told us?" Elly asked quietly. "Would we have gotten married, had kids, had lives, and eventually died—completely unaware that we had a sibling out there and another parent, too?"

"Girls," Ryan said quietly. "I don't want to do this without Marissa. How about I call her, and she'll come out on the next flight, and we'll all talk?"

"I'm going to the bathroom," Haley announced, sliding out of the room. Ryan knew she needed some time. He knew his daughter well.

"She's not that easy to track down," Elly smirked, referring to Ryan's ex-wife, her mother, and one of the most famous celebrities in America. "And the chances she'll either be able to or want to come out on the next flight are slim to none. It's generally easier to make an appointment for some time in the next few months, with her assistant."

"She'll come for this," Ryan assured her. "It's important."

"Is her daughter's passing out from alcohol and drugs important? Her daughter's cutting habit? Her daughter's life?" Elly asked simply.

Ryan stared at her. "You're just like her."

"I'd say thank you, but then, why would I want to be like her?"

"Now, come on, don't say that," Ryan cajoled. "She's your mother."

"Barely," Elly laughed. "That's why I'm here, anyway. Little Miss Drunk-and-Drugged is hardly good for Marissa Cooper's image. Not like she had the time to deal with me anyway."

"Wait a second," Ryan said. "Rewind. You're here why? And who are you staying with?"

"My grandma," Elly explained.

"Julie," Ryan nodded, inhaling sharply.

"Right," Elly nodded, tilting her head slightly, still trying to comprehend how all the pieces of her life were connecting. "Anyway, so I was a bit of a party girl, I guess. There was sort of an incident involving too much alcohol, some pain meds, some coke, a razor, and a high-profile club. I'm still alive, not that my mother would have noticed. Or cared. Besides the fact that her assistant must have told her that I needed to be dealt with otherwise I would be a deadly person known as an image-ruiner. A shame, really. I love screwing with people and their careers."

"Marissa," Ryan said, looking up at the ceiling. "What were you thinking?"

"Funny you'd say that," Elly said sharply. He looked at her. "I thought she didn't. Think, that is."

Ryan paused for a second. Haley came back into the room. Ryan hated the position he was in. He looked at them—his two daughters—two beautiful, beautiful daughters. He had always known, somehow, intuitively, that this day would eventually come. One of them would uncover the secrets. He and Marissa would have to actually address all the things they had pushed under the carpet—the reasons why they split, and the reasons why they split up their daughters, too. Now they would have to deal with the problems.

They had never been good at that. Dealing with problems. Talking about them.

"Your mom's phone number?" He asked Elly. The girls raised their eyebrows identically.

"I'll call," Elly said. She took the phone and got out of bed slowly, taking it out of the room, excusing herself. Haley and Ryan watched her, hearing faint screaming noises through the glass door, seeing Elly become frustrated.

Things were going to change very quickly, very drastically.


	9. Chapter 9

"I am so sorry I'm late," Marissa said, bounding in. "I was in Miami, so the flight was quick. Elly darling, I'm here now, alright, sweetie? Are you okay?"

"They're in the waiting room," Elly said simply.

"Who?" Marissa asked.

"Ryan and Haley," Elly replied. The color drained from Marissa's face, the life was taken out of her eyes. She seemed to sag over a bit, and Elly noticed how much older her mom had become in the past few years.

"What…do you mean?" Marissa whispered.

"Haley and I go to the same school now. We became friends. When you called and stuff, we were together. She came and collected me, passed out, in a bathroom. Because I had smashed my phone, she couldn't find a parent's number, so she called her own dad. Ryan. My dad, too, apparently," Elly explained matter-of-factly.

"Oh, Elly," Marissa said, sighing, her voice caught in the back of her throat, her head throbbing painfully. She felt her entire being tense up uncontrollably. "I wanted to tell you, I really did."

"But you didn't," Elly answered after the most icy of moments, not looking her mother in the eye.

"But I didn't. And I regret what we did, I really do. But we made a mistake, and we couldn't hurt you girls again."

"I'm going to go get them," Elly said, ignoring Marissa. "We should all talk. You never talk about what you're actually feeling. That's why we're not close, and that's probably why you and Ryan could never be close."

Tears stung in Marissa's eyes. Elly was so blunt. But at the same time, she knew that her daughter—their daughter—was right. Her daughter was so like her at that age—unafraid to spell out the truth in the coldest of words.

"She's here," Elly said, when Haley and Ryan came into her sight as she walked into the pathetic visitors' room. "I think you guys should come in now."

"She wants us to come in?" Ryan clarified, placing his magazine back onto the coffee table.

"Yes," Elly said, although when she thought about, she wasn't actually sure.

"Hales? Ready?" Ryan said, putting his arm around his daughter. Elly watched them, heard the way Ryan called her Hales. Her eyes burned. She had never had a parent like that. Marissa had never been there for her like Ryan had obviously always been there for Haley. She'd always known she had been more of a hindrance to Marissa than an asset. Because that's the way her mother thought. Good for career; bad for career. Helpful; worthless. Elly didn't want to know where she fit into the equation that was her mother's life because she knew, deep down, where she fit in. And she didn't like that place at all.

This only made her despise Marissa more. Ryan and Marissa had both wanted to be part of their daughters' lives; they'd both wanted a part of the twins, and they'd thought up the easiest solution. Elly hated Marissa for being so selfish, for tearing her apart from a loving father and a twin sister. She hated Marissa for demanding a daughter and then practically leaving her to be brought up by nannies. Elly had given up so much for Marissa's whim, of having a child, to be fulfilled. As she stormed back to her hospital room, a place she'd grown used to after her disturbed and wild teenage years, she thought about the other half of a family she didn't even know she had.

And even though they looked the same, and had the same parents, and she'd only known her for less than a day, Elly Cooper wished that she were Haley. And as she saw them all in the same room—Marissa, Ryan, and Haley—she wished that she'd been on the other side when the curtain had closed and separated the four of them into two halves. She saw herself—saw her miserable childhood and crazed teenage years—and she knew, somehow, that Haley hadn't gone through the same things, the same pain.

And she hated the reason why.


	10. Chapter 10

"Ryan," Marissa breathed as he entered the room. The first time, in all those years. He was the same, really. She still loved him. She had never really stopped. She regretted the decisions she'd made, they'd made. All of them. He looked just as good as he did in high school—muscular, golden hair, piercing blue eyes. Same half-smile. She tried not to blink, as though he would disappear before she could open her eyes once more. He was still Ryan. But he wasn't her Ry anymore. He was Ryan Atwood. Her ex-husband. Her heart winced.

And behind him, a girl entered. Her daughter. Haley. God, she was gorgeous, Marissa thought to herself. She was Elly, really—they were absolutely identical in almost every respect. She couldn't believe that one day she'd let herself leave, that one day she'd left Haley—her daughter, her beautiful, amazing daughter—and gone away. And then she looked at Elly, saw the way the daughter she'd raised looked at her, with hatred and anger. She'd done bad things, she knew that. She always had. But every time she looked at Elly too many sensations ran around her. In Elly, there was so much Ryan—which pained her more than she would ever admit. In Elly, there was Haley—there was the constant reminder that there was a girl out there with no mother because she and Ryan couldn't work out that last argument. And there was the constant reminder, too, that she was not a good mother even to the daughter she had, that her daughter was just like her in high school—independent, rebellious, and angry—and she hadn't fulfilled the promise she'd made to herself right before she'd given birth. She remembered the scene like it had been the day before. She had sworn to herself that she would be a good mother. That she would never be like Julie Cooper, that she would love and adore and nurture the two babies she was about to be given unconditionally and constantly. And her heart stung as she finally realized why the four of them were together, again, somehow.

Because she'd failed. She'd failed as a mother, to the daughter she'd raised, to the daughter she hadn't raised, and to the love of her life. The memories of her feelings in high school had always haunted her, but now she felt them come up again in a whirlwind. What did Seth always used to say?

Right. That Newport was "a world of insecurity and paralyzing self-doubt."

She'd left Newport when she was eighteen. But that world was still inside her. That world had followed her to New York and then to Los Angeles; those feelings remained. And she realized that until she made things right, they would never leave.

"Marissa." Ryan said quietly. She immediately buried her face in her hands, but she couldn't hide anymore. From her daughters, from Ryan, and from her tears.


	11. Chapter 11

"Marissa," Ryan repeated softly, trying to comfort her. She sobbed, shaking violently, her face scrunching up in pain. She looked nothing like a model at that moment. She looked pale, weak; she was too skinny and she was shivering. Ryan couldn't stand it anymore. The girls stood there silently, wallowing in their own teenage self-pity and wondering what was going on, what was going to happen, and what had already happened. They were in a whirlwind.

"Riss," Ryan whispered, for the first time in sixteen years. Marissa looked up at him, opening her blue eyes, and looked him in the eye. He knew that it didn't matter at that moment who she was with, what she had done, or what they had to deal with. He put her arms around her, enveloping her in a warm hug, and she relaxed in those strong, protective arms. The only ones she'd ever felt safe in. The only ones she ever would.

"Ry," she whispered back in his ear, her breath floating softly near his ear, making him smile. They didn't let go until it seemed like minutes had gone by. Finally she pulled away, wiped the tears from her face, tried to look bright and happy once more.

"Well. Elly? You ready, sweetheart?" Marissa asked, a manufactured cheesy expression falling flat on her face.

"Ready for what, exactly?" Elly asked.

"The plane's ready to take you home," Marissa explained.

"You mean I'm leaving?" Elly asked, as if it were a joke. She shook her head. "Mom, you're kidding, right?"

"It's time to get you home," Marissa continued, not looking at Ryan or Haley, knowing it would break her. And she couldn't afford to be broken. "Come on, Ell."

"You're going to just leave again?" Elly asked, her eyes filling up with tears this time. "You do realize what you're doing? You're sure you're not the one doing drugs?"

"Oh, Elly," Marissa sighed. She looked pained. "Please don't do this. Not here, not now."

"Marissa-" Ryan tried to cut in.

"Elly," Marissa said sharply, reprimanding Elly and Ryan both for arguing simultaneously. "Go get your things."

"You're running away," Elly said in an icy tone, almost hissing at her mother. "You did it sixteen years ago, and you're doing it again now. Except this time, I'm not a baby. And I'm not going to go with you just because you can carry me. I'm not going anywhere until you explain all this shit to me. Because, newsflash, you can't drag me around just because your life is so fucked up that you don't even want to deal with all the problems in it."

"Please don't do this," Marissa said, putting her face in her hands, closing her eyes, and exhaling slowly. "I can't deal with this."

"Newsflash, we know that," Elly said in a quiet, sarcastic tone. Marissa shot her daughter a look that Elly ignored.

"Marissa. Elly. Why don't you guys stay for at least a night, with us. We have plenty of room. Elly probably needs to recover, and I think this is sort of a…shock. For all of us," Ryan suggested, trying to mediate the intense argument. He didn't want to get into the mother-daughter drama, but he knew he—and Haley, though so far she'd stayed completely silent—would end up mixed up in it soon.

"Please?" Elly asked Marissa.

Marissa looked at Ryan, biting her lip. She didn't want to do this, get caught in this trap again. But she knew it was right, and she had to do this, at least, for her daughter.

"Alright," she sighed. "Fine."

"Great. We can go now," Ryan said. "Haley? You okay?"

"Yeah," Haley whispered, although she was still shaken by the events of the past hours. She was the calmer one, the quieter one. She had always dealt with her emotions like her father; she was a brooder.

"Hello?" A voice called. "Elly? Where are you, sweetheart?" Julie.

"In here!" Elly called out, smiling, knowing her grandmother would frustrate her mother even more.

"Oh, darling, I was worried to death," Julie ranted, running into the room. "Oh. Wow. Ryan. Marissa. Haley!"

Haley looked to her father, confused.

"Your grandma," Ryan sighed, offering Haley a very weak smile. "Your other one."

"I have another grandma?" Elly asked, shooting invisible daggers at Marissa.

"And a grandfather," Marissa added. "Besides all of your grandma Julie here's husbands. And an uncle and an aunt, Seth and Summer, and some cousins? I'm not sure how many there ended up being. At least two."

"Four," Ryan filled in, trying to be helpful.

"I have cousins?" Elly asked, her eyes widening. She glared at Marissa. She hated her, at that moment. She'd always hated her, vaguely, for never being there—physically, or emotionally. Then she'd taken her away from her father, from her twin sister. But then there had been all these other relatives that she'd been barred from for all these years. She couldn't take it. Four cousins she didn't even know she had. She couldn't help it anymore.

Elly got out of bed, and stalked through the room.

"I hate you," she announced, simply and suddenly, uttering the strong words directly to Marissa, who seemed to crumple at her daughter's words. Then Elly left the room.

"Well," Julie said, shaken. "I guess that means that she's alright. Oh, Haley! I haven't seen you since you were practically bald and in diapers! Let me give you a hug, sweetheart!"

The cab they took to return to Ryan's sprawling penthouse apartment was silent, none of them daring to speak. Elly and Haley had begun their days as only children with single parents, and ended it with a twin sister and two parents. Both of their heads spun with the new information and the new drama and the tale that they'd never even known about.

They took the elevator up and entered the apartment.

"It's gorgeous, Ryan, really," Marissa said to him, smiling. "Did you design it?"

"Yep," he replied, nodding.

"Wait," she paused, looking around her slowly. "This is…it can't be. The one you designed for your last project in college?"

"I made it," he said simply. "I decided to build it."

"It's fantastic," Marissa said admiringly. "I'm impressed."

"Thanks," Ryan told her honestly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Okay, seeing as I was an only child with a runaway mother, like, a second ago, could we stop the flirting and explain what the fuck is going on here? Because your explanations have been—" Haley began, only to be interrupted.

"Fairly shitty," Elly concluded. The girls smiled at each other. Their connection was amazing; their words and speech patterns uncannily identical.

"Firstly, watch the language, both of you," Ryan warned, looking to Marissa for approaval. She turned flaming red. It wasn't like she'd even thought to limit Elly's almost nonstop cursing before. "Secondly, I think that's fair. Marissa?"

"They have been," she admitted apologetically. "You know. Terrible. The explanations. There's not a lot to explain."

"You just decided to split up one day?" Haley inquired.

"There were rumors…problems…your mother's career was speeding along and there were the rest of us, wondering what was going on."

"Like that was the real issue, Ryan," Marissa said sarcastically. "Are you forgetting your affair, or was that not really a problem in our marriage?"

"Besides the fact that I never had an affair to begin with, are you forgetting yours, with the director? Or the—" Ryan accused before being cut off. He knew exactly why she wouldn't let him say that last thing in front of their daughters, and he didn't want them to know, either, but his anger was getting the better of him. He took a deep breath while she spoke.

"So yours is fabricated but mine is true? Right. I would never cheat, Ryan. On you or anyone else," Marissa said firmly, though her mind and Ryan's were both circling around the unspoken event that had occurred years ago that neither one wanted to be the first to bring up.

"Um—" Elly began, trying to edit her mother's partially false statement. "Remember that guy John—"

"Elly." Marissa said sternly, causing Elly to close her mouth quickly. "I did not cheat on John. Or your father. Or anyone else."

"Can you stop fighting already? God," Haley whined. "So thanks, now we get why you split up. But why the hell would you force us to?"

"We both loved you. Marissa was moving to LA. There's no way you could've gone to school in two places and had that bicoastal life. We wouldn't force you to do that. The only way for each of us to be able to live with you was…" Ryan sighed, furrowing his brows in frustration. "We screwed up. I'm sorry. I really, truly am. We made a huge mistake."

"You two are pretty selfish, you know that?" Haley said after a moment.

"Pathetic," Elly added. "Did you even think about us?"

"Of course we did," Marissa said, flushing.

"Just like you've thought about me for the past sixteen years, right, Mom?" Elly asked icily. The room became frozen, reacting to her truthful and yet bitter comment.

"Please, Elly. I want to-"

"Finish this conversation so you can go back to LA? Sick of me already? I'm not surprised," Elly said smoothly. "It's alright. I'm sure one of your assistants knows this whole story, right? So someone could explain my life to me, bring me home, and help me readjust to my unfair and totally controlled and ridiculous life? That sounds good, actually." Marissa winced at the sarcasm and twisted truth in Elly's words.

"Come on," Haley said suddenly, staring at Ryan indignantly. "We'll be in my room." Elly nodded and followed her newfound twin sister. The girls walked away from their parents, and at the same moment, they looked back at Marissa and Ryan, sitting on the couch helplessly, and Marissa and Ryan couldn't help but think that the matching sets of deep blue eyes were never meant to be parted, and that they had made the biggest mistake of their lives, sixteen years ago.

"So what now?" Marissa asked softly when the low echo of Haley's door slamming wafted through the room.

"I don't know," Ryan admitted. "I guess…I mean, we can't split them up now."

"But I can't move from LA," Marissa said. "It just wouldn't be able to happen right now. And I'm not letting her live with Julie forever. That was a temporary thing. My mother has changed, but not enough. I'm sure Elly will want to come back for her friend Ben's service, and then…"

"I can't move either," Ryan sighed. "I guess our lives are pretty much permanent now."

"Yeah," Marissa agreed. After a moment, she announced, "I'll take both girls back to LA, then. They'll be together, and…"

"Not a chance," Ryan said immediately. "I'm not letting Haley get thrown around by your lifestyle. It's done enough damage to Elly."

Marissa gasped. "How can you judge my lifestyle? Elly is an out of control girl. The only way to contain her would be to put her on a leash. She can't be reined in right now. She's a teenager."

"As is Haley," Ryan reminded her. "Please, Marissa. You think she would've turned to drugs and drinking if everything was alright at home? How about the painkillers? A razor, for godsake? She was cutting herself, Marissa! Is that enough evidence for you? Something was going wrong!"

"Like Haley's never done anything wrong," Marissa scoffed in retort. "Elly is growing into herself. If you remember, I spent a few crazy years like that too in high school. Remember Volchok?"

"Of course." Ryan said with a bitter honesty that almost scared Marissa. "But whenever you experimented, it was to get back at your mother. You despised her. For everything. You drank because you hated her and you hated your lifestyle. Why do you think Elly's doing it?"

"You don't have to analyze problems that aren't yours," Marissa said coldly, though his words were obviously affecting her.

"I think they are mine, actually," Ryan said. "She is my daughter, Marissa. You've let her get into this self-destructive lifestyle, and I don't want Haley to become a part of it and I don't want Elly to keep doing this, either. You know if I went to a custody court with this, I could win both of the girls." Silence followed the audacity of his statement.

"I'll handle my daughter, you'll handle yours," Marissa said finally, choosing to ignore his last sentence. "There's nothing we can do."

"Great," Ryan said sourly. They sat there uncomfortably for a moment.

"I'm going to get Elly," Marissa said. "I have to get back to LA for a benefit."

Ryan raised his eyebrows but didn't speak. Marissa stalked off.


	12. Chapter 12

"Elly?" Marissa called. "Elly! Come on!"

The two girls came out of Haley's room. They were dressed identically—wearing the same plain blue James Perse t-shirts, matching Hudson jeans, and flip-flops. Each one had their blond hair down, long and wavy, and they stood next to each other, almost for judgment.

"Cute, girls, but Elly, it's really time to go," Marissa said. "We need to get home."

"Sure, Mom," they said in unison, smiling identically.

"Oh, come on, it's not funny. It's time to leave," Marissa said insistently.

"I know," they said again, grinning impishly. Marissa crinkled her eyebrows, trying to identify her daughter. "Ryan!" She called in frustration.

"Which one of you is Elly?" Ryan said firmly once he saw what was going on. "Come on."

"I am," they said together, beaming.

"Girls. Please don't be childish. Elly, please get your jacket. We're leaving now," Marissa said angrily.

"Fine," Haley said frustratedly. "I'll go."

"Elly?" Marissa asked hesitantly, to make sure that it was really Elly.

"Yeah?" Haley replied obnoxiously, satisfying any of Marissa's last doubts.

Elly looked at Haley closely before realizing this was really going to happen. "I'll miss you, Ell. We'll visit soon, okay?"

"Of course," Haley smiled back weakly. "Bye, Dad." She went over to him, and they stood awkwardly for a moment, not sure if a hug was in order. She decided she had to and hugged him, making him smile slightly, glad that Elly—or who he thought was Elly—was accepting him.

"Bye," Elly said to her mom, knowing that Marissa was wishing Haley—or who she thought was Haley—would hug her too. Elly couldn't do it. Couldn't hug her mother. She smiled and waved, instead. She watched Marissa's face deflate, and she felt a twinge of guilt, but she couldn't give her mother that satisfaction.

"Ryan," Marissa said, when the only goodbyes left to dole out were between her and Ryan.

"Marissa," he replied. "If you ever…"

"Thanks," she answered, knowing what he was offering. "I'll miss you."

"You too. It was good to see you," he admitted, smiling his half-smile.

"Yeah," she nodded. She lead Elly to the door; put her hand on the doorknob. But she couldn't bring herself to open the door. Ryan put his hand on hers to help her, and a chill immediately was sent through her body. Her eyes widened; Ryan looked at her, knowing there was something. Something between them. Something left. But he twisted the doorknob; the door swung open. And she stepped out, Haley behind her, arms crossed just like Elly's always were. Marissa walked straight ahead, forcing herself to keep her eyes trained on the wall in front of her, knowing that if she looked back she'd start bawling. Haley looked back at Elly and her dad, and gave a small, purposeful smile. And then they were gone.

When the door closed, Ryan and Elly stared at the door for along time. But they didn't go after Marissa and Haley. Elly's fingers stayed crossed behind her back—praying that Haley wouldn't chicken out; praying that Marissa wouldn't figure out what they'd plotted—for a long time, but nothing happened. Ryan retreated to his office; Elly to Haley's room. Neither of them could talk about what had happened in the past twenty-four hours, not yet. About an hour later, Elly pulled out her Sidekick, and a text message from Haley had already appeared.

"She suspects nothing; about to get on plane to LA. Mission accomplished. This is really happening. Haley."

Elly leaned back on Haley's bed and grinned. They really had switched places. It was really happening. This was going to work. They were going to make it work.


	13. Chapter 13

LA

"Look, I'm sorry," Marissa said as they sat silently on the private plane, flying over the middle of America. "For everything."

"Apparently," Haley said sarcastically. It pained her immensely to act like that—she could read Marissa's guilt, and she knew how sorry she really was. But she had to be Elly, through and through, for this to work. It was the only way she could get what she wanted—a life outside of her schoolwork, friends, fun. And she would do whatever it would take to get her there. She would pretend to be her twin sister to do it. It would take work, but it was worth it. She hoped.

Marissa ignored the comment. "When we get there, I'm going to go straight to this benefit I'm supposed to be at, but Ricardo's coming to drive you home, alright?"

"Whatever," Haley said. She pressed her face to the cool glass of the plane window, though all she could see was the white of the sky and clouds. She felt her skin numb, and then she pulled her face away, touching her forehead with a finger delicately, appreciating its coldness. She had so many questions for Elly—was Marissa ever around? Did she have a car? What was her school like? Who were her friends? Who was Ben and what had happened to him? But she'd have to wait until she could talk on the phone to her privately. It was too risky, with Marissa across the aisle.

Marissa pulled out her Blackberry and began babbling to a producer or a director furiously, tuning out her daughter and everything else around her. Haley sighed, feeling alone, and at that moment she understood Elly. She sneezed and yawned and clapped her hands and laughed loudly, but Marissa didn't even notice her.

NY

"You okay?" Ryan asked Elly, beckoning for her to join him on the living room couch. "I know this has all been kind of crazy."

"Yeah," Elly said quietly, attempting to act as passive and silent as Haley.

"We really just didn't want to hurt you, and this was the only way. We knew you could never be together, and we were just trying to spare you the frequent goodbyes." Ryan ran a hand through his hair anxiously. He looked at the photos that lined the mantel; of Haley, growing up, at birthday parties and school pictures. A few of them, father and daughter, together. The two of them with the Cohens—Kirsten, Sandy, Seth, Summer, and their kids. Haley had always been surrounded by supportive family. But what really hurt Ryan was how one of his daughters hadn't been given the same life. He could imagine what it was like to be Marissa's daughter. He didn't understand how he had let this happen—if being her husband was too difficult, why would being her daughter be any easier? Elly hadn't been paid any attention, Ryan was sure, and she had been allowed to enter a path that Ryan had always hated, but Marissa had always ended up on, whenever they weren't together—the drugs, the drinking, the partying. The crazy lifestyle. He couldn't bear to let Elly be ruined by Marissa's lack of judgment. But he knew that by letting them leave again—another mistake, he thought angrily—he was letting Elly continue down her road of destruction. He reminded himself to call her in the next few days, if she would speak to him.

"I know," Elly said meaningfully. "Just a shock. Marissa Cooper, my mother? I have a twin? I just don't know which parts of my life are real, and which are just…bull."

"We'll get through this," Ryan said, putting his arm around her. "Together."

"Together," Elly nodded, liking the ring the syllables had in her head, not used to the way Ryan used the word. In Marissa's world, together meant going to a charity event together so she'd end up in the press the next day. But she liked the way Ryan said it. Emotionally, there was nothing together about she and Marissa—her mother. She couldn't believe she'd gone so far without someone who would say together, and mean it, really and truly.


	14. Chapter 14

LA

"Look, I'm sorry," Marissa said as they sat silently on the private plane, flying over the middle of America. "For everything."

"Apparently," Haley said sarcastically. It pained her immensely to act like that—she could read Marissa's guilt, and she knew how sorry she really was. But she had to be Elly, through and through, for this to work. It was the only way she could get what she wanted—a life outside of her schoolwork, friends, fun. And she would do whatever it would take to get her there. She would pretend to be her twin sister to do it. It would take work, but it was worth it. She hoped.

Marissa ignored the comment. "When we get there, I'm going to go straight to this benefit I'm supposed to be at, but Ricardo's coming to drive you home, alright?"

"Whatever," Haley said. She pressed her face to the cool glass of the plane window, though all she could see was the white of the sky and clouds. She felt her skin numb, and then she pulled her face away, touching her forehead with a finger delicately, appreciating its coldness. She had so many questions for Elly—was Marissa ever around? Did she have a car? What was her school like? Who were her friends? Who was Ben and what had happened to him? But she'd have to wait until she could talk on the phone to her privately. It was too risky, with Marissa across the aisle.

Marissa pulled out her Blackberry and began babbling to a producer or a director furiously, tuning out her daughter and everything else around her. Haley sighed, feeling alone, and at that moment she understood Elly. She sneezed and yawned and clapped her hands and laughed loudly, but Marissa didn't even notice her.

NY

"You okay?" Ryan asked Elly, beckoning for her to join him on the living room couch. "I know this has all been kind of crazy."

"Yeah," Elly said quietly, attempting to act as passive and silent as Haley.

"We really just didn't want to hurt you, and this was the only way. We knew you could never be together, and we were just trying to spare you the frequent goodbyes." Ryan ran a hand through his hair anxiously. He looked at the photos that lined the mantel; of Haley, growing up, at birthday parties and school pictures. A few of them, father and daughter, together. The two of them with the Cohens—Kirsten, Sandy, Seth, Summer, and their kids. Haley had always been surrounded by supportive family. But what really hurt Ryan was how one of his daughters hadn't been given the same life. He could imagine what it was like to be Marissa's daughter. He didn't understand how he had let this happen—if being her husband was too difficult, why would being her daughter be any easier? Elly hadn't been paid any attention, Ryan was sure, and she had been allowed to enter a path that Ryan had always hated, but Marissa had always ended up on, whenever they weren't together—the drugs, the drinking, the partying. The crazy lifestyle. He couldn't bear to let Elly be ruined by Marissa's lack of judgment. But he knew that by letting them leave again—another mistake, he thought angrily—he was letting Elly continue down her road of destruction. He reminded himself to call her in the next few days, if she would speak to him.

"I know," Elly said meaningfully. "Just a shock. Marissa Cooper, my mother? I have a twin? I just don't know which parts of my life are real, and which are just…bull."

"We'll get through this," Ryan said, putting his arm around her. "Together."

"Together," Elly nodded, liking the ring the syllables had in her head, not used to the way Ryan used the word. In Marissa's world, together meant going to a charity event together so she'd end up in the press the next day. But she liked the way Ryan said it. Emotionally, there was nothing together about she and Marissa—her mother. She couldn't believe she'd gone so far without someone who would say together, and mean it, really and truly.

LA

"Bye, darling," Marissa called as she and Haley each got into the two silver Mercedes Benz cars, each equipped with a driver, that were waiting as they got off the plane. Haley knew her dad had money, but this was another thing entirely. Ryan wanted her to have whatever she wanted, but he wasn't outrageously frivolous, and his main priorities for the continuously enormous cash flow that he got from his prized buildings were her education and saving up for the future. California was different, she thought to herself, as the car drove away from the airport and the images of palm trees, plastic surgery, and skimpy bikinis began flying by the car window. They drove all through LA and Hollywood, and she smiled when they were allowed through a security gate past thick privacy hedges and approached an enormous, statuesque mansion in Beverly Hills.

A different place, a different life, she thought to herself as Ricardo opened the door and she stepped into her new world as Elly Cooper.

NY

"Ready for school?" Ryan asked weakly, as Elly sat at the kitchen table, eating breakfast cereal.

"I guess," she replied.

"So…I know it seems soon and all…but I was wondering if you wanted to visit your cousins in Newport the weekend after next. I have to go to London for business, and I'm not sure…"

"You don't want to leave me alone. It's okay, Dad. Really. I'd love to go to Newport," Elly said cheerily. Cousins. Real live cousins. She'd never really had any extended family, besides her often-absent Aunt Kaitlin, her Grandma Julie, and…that was basically it. She loved the idea. And Newport, she'd looked up, was so close to LA. LA—she could see Haley, and maybe even see some of her old friends too. She still needed to figure out what had really happened to Ben, and why her best friend Chelsea had been with him; they had always hated one another.

"You're sure?" Ryan asked, concerned. "I want to make sure you're okay. With everything that's happened. I know that we never really got to talk, especially you and your mom…"

"Me and Elly can always talk on the phone," Elly reminded him. "Maybe we'll visit sometime."

"Great," Ryan said, boosted by the idea that his daughters could have a relationship, and that maybe Haley could mellow Elly out a little bit. "I'll call Kirsten and Sandy tonight."

"I should go now. I don't want to be late," Elly said with a smile. "Bye!" Dad, she thought to herself. Bye, Dad. She wondered if she'd be able to say that the next day, or the day after that. Not yet, though. He wasn't Dad yet. Maybe tomorrow.

"Of course. Bye, Hales."

Elly took Haley's school stuff and her school bag and walked out the door, hoping she'd manage with everything—with Haley's friends, her schoolwork, and what she would tell Graham. She hoped she'd figure it out before anyone uncovered their plan.


	15. Chapter 15

"Hello?" Elly said when she picked up her cell on the way to school.

"It's me," Haley said. "Several things."

"Shoot," Elly said, accompanied by a yawn. "First- has Mom ditched you yet?"

"She left straight from the airport," Haley admitted.

"Get used to it, sugar," Elly said. "But yeah, go ahead."

"Okay. I need your AIM username and password and ditto for your email. You need to call the credit card company, ditch the one you have now, and get them to send a new one. I left mine in my top right dresser drawer. I need to know how the hell your TV works, who your best friend is and what she's like, who this Ben guy is and what the story about that is, how you get to school, where all your school stuff and schedule is, what school you even go to, for that matter. What else…oh, the home phone number here would be nice, as well as what you normally wear to school, your curfew, and assuming the black Mercedes convertible with the license plate ELLCOOP is yours, where your keys are and where your insurance crap is. I think that's it."

"Um, Haley?" Elly asked. "I'm trying really hard not to laugh. You're neurotic times a hundred."

"That I've been told," Haley replied. "So?"

"My username and password for AIM and my email are saved, so no worries. Just open the internet on my laptop- the desktop computer works, but the laptop's faster, so just use that. Anyway, just open the internet and my email is my homepage and the info is saved. Open AIM and it's the same deal. My credit card is in the safe in my closet, code is 8156- you got that?- my mom made me leave it when I came to New York. The TV manual is on my bookshelf, there's a post-it on the front with basic instructions for the DVD player and stuff. The Benz is mine, keys are in the safe too, and the fact that you even remember insurance freaks me out. It's in the glovebox. Mom's assistant taped it in there so I don't lose it, so no worries. She basically organizes my life. There's no home phone because we might be stalked, but I am as we speak emailing you all the important numbers- Mom's, her assistant Kate's, and my close friends- but delete it when you get it, because of the stalkers. No curfew, because Mom doesn't really understand the whole discipline thing, but on school nights I'm generally in by eleven or twelve and on weekends…between two and five is the norm, I guess. My school is Alden Academy but showing up is sort of optional, I guess, I mean, it's not, but I can probably get away with another eight or nine skipped days for the rest of the year, so keep that in mind. I usually wear jeans or skirts, flats, and like random tops- just shift through my closet and try to organize something that looks vaguely cool and expensive." Elly paused for breath.

"Oooo-kay," Haley said. "The safe code is 8156?"

"Yep," Elly laughed.

"And you get in on weekends between two and five…in the morning?" Haley asked, incredulous. "And eleven or twelve on school nights?"

"Uh huh," Elly answered.

"I assume I'll have to do this too…" Haley sighed. "When do you do your homework?"

"Homework…" Elly began. "In between, sometimes. I don't stress about it. I do some of it, sometimes."

"Okay, well get ready for a sudden jump in grades," Haley laughed. "I'll stay out as long as is humanly possible."

"And your grades are going to go down, and you're going to become a partier," Elly said. "I guess we'll both deal."

"Just please do well in like…AP Advanced Physics? And BC Calc, too, please?"

"You take calculus? And AP physics?" Elly asked, groaning.

"Yes, and I would like to get A's in them," Haley said. "I trust you. Sort of."

"Anyway, about my friends. My best friend in the world is Chelsea. Crazy party girl. Worse than me. She like…never goes home. She's going out with my ex, Hudson, which is like our only sore point. But she cheats on him. Often. She's pretty heavily into coke, but she's like the sweetest person, and she's hilarious and funny and great. You'll like her. Overlook the drugs, please? Don't turn into like an old woman. Be me. Anyway, Ben was kind of my on-and-off boyfriend…my New-York-worthy meltdown was sort of because he said it was finally over. We were in love, I think, but at the same time a mess…he was doing drugs, and I was drinking, and it was insane. Then, my meltdown in New York was because he died. Of an overdose. He was with Chelsea. Chelsea's going to be very dramatic and over-the-top about this, so try and deal. She was probably cheating on Hudson with him at some club right before he died, but she'll deny it. Ben and Hudson were pretty good friends. I'm sure our whole group will be a mess. But anyway, around them, you have to be a little angry at Chelsea until she forgives me, because she was so totally hooking up with Ben and she'll know that you know that. Hang out with Hudson…I have to say, I still like him a little. When people are all like I'm so sorry about Ben, be really emotional and pretend you're completely still in love with him, because not everyone will know about the breakup. And Haley? I know you won't, but don't get into cocaine. Mom will totally overlook any drinking or anything, but the drugs…I know they were a mistake. I'm not going to do that again."

"I don't drink!" Haley said. "No chance."

"Pretend, then, because otherwise there's no chance people will believe this," Elly told her. "Look, I'm sorry."

"I can pretend," Haley relented. "I guess."

"Thanks, Hales," Elly said. "And I'll study for you, or at least, I'll try."

"Thank you," Haley laughed.

"Anyway, I'm coming to California," Elly said.

"Oh my god!" Haley exclaimed. "When?"

"Weekend after next. Your dad's going on a business trip and I'm going to visit your grandparents in Newport."

"This is so great! Your plane will come into LAX; we'll be able to hang out for at least a little while."

"I know," Elly said excitedly. "I hope we can pull it of until then."

"I think we can. It'll take a lot of phone calls, but…I hope so," Haley said.

"I have to go; I'm right in front of school," Elly said. "We'll talk after school I guess? You're not going?"

"Nope, your mom…I mean, our mom…got me out of today. Seeing as I just cut myself and overdosed and passed out in New York."

"Very funny," Elly laughed. "Talk to you later. I miss you."

"I miss you too," Haley said. A tear dripped down her face. "I can't believe it…I'm crying."

"Me too," Elly hiccupped softly. "I guess…we're more like sisters than we thought."

"I guess so," Haley laughed through her tears. "Bye, Ell."

Haley put the phone down and rolled over on Elly's bed and began to organize her school supplies; labeling binders and notebooks and chronologically ordering notes. She was distressed at Elly's lack of care about her schoolwork. That would change.

At the same time, Elly dropped her favorite flask into Haley's locker, which Haley had prized for being completely clean and orderly. She grabbed Haley's bag and began to walk to class. She saw that homeroom had already began and she sighed, before noticing both Aiden and Graham near the library door. But she couldn't like Graham. She would have to like Aiden. She sighed, before snatching the flask from the locker once more, concealing it partially in her bag, and following both of them. Graham turned and walked away immediately once he saw Aiden. But she continued following Aiden. When he saw her flask he looked at her with a puzzled face. That, too, would change, she smiled to herself.


	16. Chapter 16

NY

"Cohen Comic Federation," Seth said dully as he picked up the phone.

"Hey, Seth, it's me," Ryan sighed.

"What's up?" Seth asked.

"You'll never guess what has happened in the past two days," Ryan said.

"Let me guess, you went to the office, you went home, you slept. You went to the office, you went-"

"Seth! That's not funny," Ryan told him.

"It is if you're not the one being teased," Seth retorted. "Fine. What was so crazy that I have to guess."

"She came back," Ryan said.

"Like, she, as in, her? She came back?" Seth asked, incredulous. "With…"

"Well, actually, turns out that Marissa Junior has become a bit of a party girl in LA," Ryan said. "Surprise, surprise. Marissa sent her to New York to live with Julie because apparently she thought it was the same thing as rehab."

"No way!" Seth laughed. "I should tell Mom that next time she relapses, she should head over to Julie's rehab center."

"Yeah, not funny," Ryan said. "Don't think you should go there."

"Can you be on my side, for once?" Seth complained. "Or at least pretend I'm funny? I need the self-esteem, you know."

"Okay, Seth," Ryan said, ignoring his brother's comment. "Anyway. Of course, Marissa sends Elly to the same school where Haley goes."

"Ah! They should make this into a movie!" Seth exclaimed. "Continue."

"Of course the girls realize that like something's weird because they're freaking identical, and then they end up at a party together-" Ryan started.

"Haley goes to parties?" Seth asked teasingly, though Ryan knew it was all in fun—Seth adored his niece.

"Very funny. I'll let you and Summer raise the Newpsies, thanks," Ryan replied.

"Leave the funny stuff to me, okay, pal?" Seth said. "Yeah?"

"So I guess Elly's friend or boyfriend or whatever in LA died from an overdose, she flips out, Haley finds her in the bathroom with a flask and a razor." Ryan said. "Haley called me from the hospital."

"Oh my god," Seth gasped. "I'm impressed. Didn't know you could get into that much trouble outside Newport."

"Apparently so," Ryan said. "Of course, I get to the hospital, and I see her- they are so much alike, and there she was…Elly. I haven't seen her since…"

"Like sixteen years ago?" Seth reminded him.

"I know. All of a sudden there are two Haleys. It was surreal. I mean, I knew it would happen someday…" Ryan trailed off.

"Just maybe not yet?" Seth filled in helpfully.

"Yeah. Marissa flew here, but on the phone Elly had only told her she'd passed out, not about Haley or me. So Marissa walks in, and…"

"Just keep it clean, please," Seth added.

"Seth!" Ryan retorted. "Stop! Nothing happened. We hugged. She looks…"

"Like an aging model?" Seth asked.

"A little," Ryan admitted. "But she looks great. She's still beautiful, same face. She's still—"

"She's still Marissa," Seth helped.

"Mmm…" Ryan sighed.

"So then what? Is she there? How did Haley take it, and Elly?"

"Well, we went back to my place after the girls demanded answers and Marissa tried to bring Elly back to LA like a second after she got there. Me and Marissa fought a little about what we were going to do."

"So they're both with you, I presume?" Seth asked.

"She wouldn't let me. She's so stubborn. She's like Julie all over again. Her relationship with Elly is pathetic. Too much money for her own good. She's busy. She doesn't really care. She wanted to take Haley to LA with her. I shut her out on that one in like a second. You should see Elly—she drinks, she was doing coke and some pills, she was cutting, she's rebellious, she's angry, and she hates Marissa more than just about anything."

"Ouch. Think you can get full custody?" Seth suggested.

"I didn't think of that," Ryan said. He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a picture of Haley and him at the beach a few summers ago. Then he dug down even deeper and pulled out the only picture of his previous life that he kept out of a locked safe, the picture Kirsten had taken of he and Marissa, Elly and Haley, the day after they were born. He knew it would kill Marissa to try and take Elly from her. But he was worried, dead worried, after the lifestyle Marissa and Elly—especially Elly—were living in LA. And he didn't want Elly to kill herself first.

LA

Haley had always been a good girl. She did her homework, got impressive grades, and was destined for an Ivy League college, no question. She had a good relationship with her father. She didn't go to parties. She didn't drink, or do drugs, or smoke.

She had never wanted to let her hair out, at all. She'd been happy with her life. She had never wondered what else there was, what was out there. She went to school with New York City's most beautiful, wealthy, privileged teenagers. She was one of them, actually, when it came down to it. But she had never wanted to be part of the party-shop-and-have-sex routine that so many of her classmates seemed to follow religiously.

But Haley was smart. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, literally. She could be the crazy popular girl. She could have fun, go wild, stop being the perfect little Haley Atwood. She was supposed to party and drink and have fun now, that's what Elly did, and she was supposed to be Elly. She shoved the pile of school supplies she'd begun to organize off the bed and stood in front of an open closet, displaying the best clothes from the best (and most expensive) fashion houses. She noticed a bottle of Cristal peeking out from behind a $400 cashmere sweater, price tag still intact. She slipped on the sweater, opened the bottle, and took a long, satisfying chug. Here's to Elly Cooper, otherwise known as the reinvention of Haley Atwood, she thought to herself. She was excited already.


	17. Chapter 17

NY

"Hey, can I talk to you?" Elly asked, going up to Graham. I'm Haley. I'm Haley. I'm Haley. She tried to force her head around the words, as if trying to convince herself that it was true.

"Haley?" Graham asked.

"Yeah. I'm Haley. Elly—Elly went home late last night," Elly said. She bit the inside of her lip. She liked him. A lot. Making it hard for her to lie like this. But she had to.

"Oh my god," Graham said. He raised his eyebrows. "She's okay?"

"Yeah, um, basically," Elly mumbled, feeling like a complete idiot. "We found out that we're twins."

"You guys are twins?" Graham asked, shocked. "I mean you look alike—you didn't know before?"

"Our parents split when we were babies, and split us up too. My mom took Elly to LA. My dad stayed here with me. They decided not to contact each other. Elly came here to be with her grandma—mine too, I guess—because she was getting a little out of hand with all the partying stuff."

"That's what she told me," Graham sighed, nodding his head a little. Elly looked at his very cute green eyes, brown hair, and that smile—it killed her to be passing up that smile.

"That night when Aiden and you…yeah…I guess an old friend who she'd been doing a lot of the bad stuff with overdosed and died, someone called to tell her the news, she freaked out, and I found her in the bathroom. I called an ambulance, at the hospital she called her mom, I mean, our mom, and my dad came, and the whole plan sort of unraveled."

"Wow. And her mom just took her back to LA?" Graham asked.

"Yeah," Elly said, unable to look him in the eye.

"Any chance you have her phone number, or something?" Graham asked.

"Um, yeah, one sec," Elly said, pulling out her Sidekick to access Haley's cell phone number. She'd text her later to warn her of Graham's soon-to-come call. Then she realized the area code would be all wrong. They'd need to get new phones. Shit, she thought to herself. Haley was the most obsessive and particular person in the world. She thought about obscure things like car insurance and schoolwork. But not cell phone numbers. "Actually I left the number at home," she lied. "How about I call you later and tell you?"

"Sounds good. Here's my number," Graham said, taking the sidekick from her hand. He opened it to start typing in his own number. Then he frowned. "Wait."

Elly closed her eyes. She counted to ten, forwards and backwards. She opened her eyes and blinked repetitively for a few seconds. She inhaled and exhaled sharply. "What's wrong?" She asked, fingers crossed tightly behind her back.

"Aren't you Haley?" He asked with a bemused smirk. The background picture on her Sidekick was of her and Chelsea, taking long, glamorous drags from matching cigarettes, and the caption for the picture, which Chelsea herself had filled in a week ago, read 'chels and ell are hotter than you'. Elly blushed embarrassedly.

"Um, yeah, that's a picture of Elly, though," she explained. "She put it in her phone. I mean, my phone. She put it in my phone. For me."

"I see," Graham grinned. "Now, I suppose if you gave me _Elly's _cell phone number and I called her, she'd know exactly what picture I was talking about, right? And the phone number would have an LA area code, wouldn't it?"

How he thought of the area code thing so promptly amazed her enough. Elly's cheeks burned. He smiled at her laughingly. She had to do something. Before he told Aiden, before he told the school—before Ryan found out. She shuddered. This had to work a little longer. She wanted to know Ryan. She wanted to be in New York. And she saw how her mother looked at Ryan, how he was the only one who could convince her of anything. Her mom had always been impulsive, stubborn, and she always had to get her own way. But when Ryan said to go over to his house, she did. That had never happened. Elly knew there was something between the two that hadn't been matched in sixteen years. She knew that she and Haley could figure it out. They would have to see each other again. They had to talk, they had to figure out really why they'd split up, and they had to get back together. It would be for the best, for all of them.

"I'll tell you the truth, but you really can't tell a soul," Elly warned him. "Really."

"Of course not," Graham said. He became serious. "I want us to…I like you, Elly."

"I like you too," she whispered back, this time meaning it. Not like all those times the likes and loves had run together in LA because she was too drunk to notice whose tongue was in her mouth or who had paid for the cold burning liquid in her flask that kept her happy via numbing out anything unhappy. This time, with Graham, she meant it. She liked him, liked his smile and his hair and the way he laughed. She liked his teasing, funny attitude, the way he didn't judge her, the way he figured her out but promised not to tell. "But…"

"What?" He asked.

"Look, me and Haley switched places, so we could experience another life, and understand the parent each of us has been missing for sixteen years, and eventually…"

"Get them back together," Graham nodded in understanding. "And they haven't noticed?"

"If you haven't, we're identical," Elly smiled flirtily.

"Not in every way," Graham argued. "I figured it out."

"Not on your own. You had the help of the wrong name on my sidekick," she reminded him laughingly. "But anyway. We can't be public about this whole thing. I'm still Haley. I have to be…Haley."

"Are you going to have to go out with Aiden?" Graham asked.

"Possibly," she admitted. She looked at his disappointed face. "Look, it won't mean anything. It's like acting. It's my job. There's not going to be feeling in it."

"Promise?" He asked with a smile. She knew he already trusted her. Just like she trusted him. Now they both had a promise to keep.

"Cross my heart," she smiled. And then she kissed him.

LA

Haley heard a car honk repeatedly outside. Nobody was home, but the security guard at the gate that was the only interruption in the almost-ten-foot-high hedge that completely surrounded Marissa's massive property had obviously let it in. When she looked down from Elly's second-floor bedroom, she recognized two girls in a white Range rover that must be Chelsea and another girl. Haley gulped, unprepared and nervous for her debut as Elly Cooper. She quickly slid on a Free City t-shirt and a pair of Citizens of Humanity jeans. She began to run down the staircase before realizing that she'd left Elly's credit card, her cell, and shoes upstairs. She sprinted back up, shoved the money, phone, sunglasses and a lip gloss into an already full oversized Balenciaga bag, snatched a pair of Chanel flats from under the bed, and ran out once more. She opened the enormous front door of the mansion and recognized the driver as Chelsea, Elly's best friend. Pictures of Chelsea and Elly were tacked to Elly's bulletin board and Haley had also dug up pictures of Chelsea, among other friends, in a few leather-bound albums shoved in the back of Elly's immense closet.

"Finally, you b(….)!" Chelsea called. "Elly, darling, you've been in New York for like three f(…)ing days, how on earth did you convince your mom to let you home so quickly? You know that when Lex here went to rehab, she wasn't back for a good month." Lex, Haley said, programming that into her brain. Lexi? Alexa? Alexandra? Lex for now, though. She'd do some research when she got back.

"Long story, boring details," Haley sighed. She hopped into the buttery backseat of the car, and Chelsea spun off at a speed that made Haley wonder what had already entered her system that day. "You guys ditching school?" She asked casually.

"We'll go back," the other girl insisted. "I mean, it's lunch now. We'll go in for last class. I guess you got out of classes for today?"

"My mother decided to be helpful for once," Haley said. Chelsea snickered.

"So where are we off to, anyway?" Lex complained. "Chels?"

"Madison," Chelsea said simply, noting one of the girls' favorite boutiques. "Just got in the new Marc Jacobs by Apple Martin line. Monique, who is like none other than my favorite salesperson ever, called me immediately. So I am just letting you in on the best secret of the afternoon."

"I freaking love you!" Lex cried.

"Oh my god, amazing," Haley echoed.

"You alright, Ell? You haven't been yourself since you left. I know that you're thinking about Ben, and I…"

"I'm fine," Haley said, knowing that her snapping fit in with her Elly image, made her look hurt and upset (which she thought she remembered to be Elly's instructions), and meant she didn't have to deal with it (and possibly not knowing important details).

"Whatever," Lex said boredly. Haley had already decided she didn't like her.

"I want to be like Apple Martin," Chelsea said dreamily. "I mean, she's just like twenty-five or something and she's already the head designer at Marc Jacobs, who, according to my mom, was like, the hottest thing in like 2006 or whenever."

"I know, and her stuff is so incredibly cute," Lex replied.

"Yeah," Haley commented vaguely. As Chelsea and Lex debated on the finer points of overpriced designer labels on the way to the boutique, Haley looked out the window and wondered what Elly was doing. She pulled out her phone and texted her, wishing that there was someone right there next to her to help her figure this out. Because this time, it seemed she was all on her own, besides her twin sister. But Elly was all the way in New York. And Haley at once sympathized with her father—because now she knew how he felt. Empty, disheartened, and alone. Without his better half. Hers was Elly. But she knew, too well, that his was Marissa.


	18. Chapter 18

LA

"Marissa, what's going on?" The photographer asked, beginning to get angry. He was one of the most famous, talented fashion photographers. He'd worked with Marissa for years, but recently she'd become less passionate, less interested, less focused. Today was the breaking point. Her heart wasn't in it, and you could tell.

"What do you mean?" Marissa asked, relaxing her face.

"You're so tense!" He exclaimed. "Come on. Get into it." He snapped a few more pictures, but her listless, bored expression continued to be displayed across her still perfect, flawless face. "Your eyes are still completely emotionless. Put more feeling into this, Marissa. It's Louis Vuitton. It's important. This could really jump-start…"

"My career as a middle-aged model. You don't need to remind me, Tim. But you've been saying this since I was thirty. I haven't had any problems…"

"Getting work?" Tim asked.

"Mariss—" Kate, Marissa's assistant, butted in.

"Kate, later, okay? Look, maybe this just isn't my day. I don't need the Louis Vuitton shoot, anyway," Marissa sighed, stalking off-set and snatching a bottle of water from Kate's hand as she flounced away.

"She's diva-ing out," Tim noticed as he watched his once-favorite model walk away.

"And this is a crucial time. The Burberry contract's about to fall apart, and the whole Revlon thing won't happen if Louis Vuitton pulls out." Kate sighed. "She won't accept the truth."

"Louis Vuitton will not be thrilled with these prints," Tim admitted. "Do you want to go talk to her? I think something happened in New York."

"Something," Kate agreed. "She's usually obnoxious—"

"Illogical," Tim added. "Temperamental, moody, flaky, irritating, arrogant, extravagant, self-absorbed, egotistical…"

Kate smiled at him. "But this is more than usual."

"I agree," Tim laughed. He looked at his two assistant cameramen. "Hey, guys, you can pack up. She won't be coming back for more shots today. I guess we'll have to start up where we left off tomorrow."

"I'll go," Kate said. "Thanks…and sorry about today."

"No problem," Tim laughed. He nervously looked at his watch. "Well, not a huge problem. Get her here, on time, ready to go, tomorrow, okay?"

"Will do," Kate smiled. "Will try, that is." She walked off towards Marissa's dressing room. Tim began packing up camera equipment. Someday she would apologize, he said to himself, as he began to stuff gear into bags. Someday she'd thank him for making her any sort of career. He finished putting away everything.

Maybe, he said as he left the room. When he heard Marissa screaming at Kate in her dressing room, he recanted his words. Maybe not.

NY

"S(…)!" Ryan said to himself when he looked at his week's schedule. It was going to be a hectic week. Seeing Marissa the day before had invoked feelings in him that did nothing besides confuse him. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't eat. He couldn't focus on work—even though he had a hugely important new shopping complex to design. It was as though everything was happening at once; all the pieces that equaled his life flying before his eyes, about to crash together at any moment. And now he would be out late almost every night this week, which only made him feel worse. Marissa's obviously terrible parenting of Elly had really hit him, and he felt even worse that he wouldn't be spending much time with Haley this week. He tried; he really did. But it was just becoming harder.

He decided to leave a message on Haley's cell phone, the best he could think to do. He dialed the digits, waiting for it to ring. "Hey, Hales, it's Dad. I'm going to be late again tonight, I'm sorry, sweetie. There's cash in the drawer so you can order dinner. Invite Kate over, or something, whatever you want to do. I'll be home pretty late, you'll probably be asleep. Okay, honey. Have a good day, alright? Call the office if you need me. Bye." Ryan was about to put the phone down, before he put it to his ear quickly one more and added, "I love you." Just to quench his guilt. The scenario with Marissa had already been pounded into his head, and he knew he would say 'I love you' after every phone call to come, for the rest of his life, just to make sure that Haley remembered it. It was the least he could do.

LA

"So, New York?" Chelsea asked Haley as she slammed violently into a parking space outside the boutique. "Hookups? Details, sweetheart, details."

"It was good," Haley said vaguely.

"There was a guy," Lex said. Haley wanted to be angry at her for assuming things, but she knew that Lex was right. She hated when annoying people were right. It just took the fun out of putting blame on other people and obsessing about their bad qualities. Lex smiled a perfect (screaming porcelain veneers) white (bleached) smile at Haley, who smiled just as phonily back.

"I'm sure," Chelsea smirked as she popped the car locks as the girls jumped out of the enormous vehicle and crossed the parking lot. "Name, stats, what's the scoop?"

"Graham. Brown hair, green eyes, good smile, hot," Haley smiled.

"How far did you go?" Lex asked nonchalantly. Haley frowned and cringed in her head.

"I don't kiss and tell," she laughed, and the other two cracked up. Got away that time, Haley thought to herself.

"I guess it's not really a for-keeps relationship," Chelsea said philosophically. "I mean, he lives in New York. Phone sex really just isn't the same."

"I know, it sucks," Haley said, pictures of Aiden flashing through her mind. She didn't know what Elly was planning to do about that. Haley didn't know if she could bear to see Elly and Aiden, but she supposed it was the only was it could really work. And she sympathized with Elly; she knew that Elly and Graham actually had something. She sighed. The negatives of their little scheme.

"Here we go, I'm so excited. I need some jeans," Lex said, turning the conversation back to her. Haley frowned. She smiled to herself as she thought of Elly in her head, saying, 'that's LA'. She entered, and exhaled as she recognized the same brands she favored at home. The fashion really wasn't different, to Haley's glee. She was still Marissa's daughter. Shopping was simply in her blood. The girls immediately started pulling things off racks, and Haley joined in, for the first time since she'd been picked up not feeling awkward. She was shopping. And she had never felt awkward about that.


	19. Chapter 19

Introducing some new characters who will start being more and more of a big part of the story, so read the last section of this chapter closely!

LA

Haley's phone beeped as she and Lex were sifting through a huge rack of C&C California shirts. She realized that she'd just received a text message from Elly, and she immediately flipped open her phone, cupping a hand around it to shield it from Lex's possible view.

"Who from?" Lex asked casually.

"Oh, just a friend from New York," Haley smiled. "I'll go call her back, one sec."

Haley raced to the dressing room and shut the door firmly. She listened to her voice mail—a message from her dad, she'd have to alert Elly—and then read the text message. She smiled to herself slightly and speed-dialled Elly.

"Thank god," Elly said into the phone breathlessly after one ring. "Where the hell are you?"

"Madison?" Haley asked. "I think?"

"Chelsea came by?" Elly asked.

"Yeah, and…Lex?"

"I didn't tell you about Lex, did I," Elly laughed. "Basically, the girl is the epitome of Hollywood. She's vain, obnoxious, and superficial. Her real name's Alexis. Put up with her as best you can. She kind of clings. Chelsea seems the same way but she can be real, sometimes."

"Thanks for the heads up," Haley said wryly. "Anyway, my dad called my cell. You do realize the whole cell phone switch thing is going to be murderous. We should have remembered to switch."

"Too late for regrets," Elly said cheekily. "We'll deal. What did he say?"

"Not coming home for dinner, have a friend over or whatever, he'll be home really late, he loves you. Me. Us. Whatever." Haley sighed. "Have you talked to Kate? Did she suspect anything?" She asked, referring to her best friend in New York—another quiet, studious girl, who was plenty nice but plenty boring too.

"No," Elly said.

"Did you talk to Aiden?" Haley asked.

"Yes," Elly replied. Her mind raced. If she told Haley that Graham knew, Haley could either be incredibly pissed or incredibly…pissed. So Elly did what she did best. "He didn't suspect a thing."

"Wow, that's good. Hey, whatever happened with Graham?" Haley asked curiously.

Don't lie, don't lie, don't lie, don't lie, Elly repeated in her head, as though it were her mantra. "Not much. Turned out to be somewhat of a jerk."

"Oh, okay," Haley smiled, relieved. "Because if you guys got involved, keeping up the story with Aiden would be insanely difficult."

"Yeah," Elly said weakly. "Definitely."

"Anyway. What's the deal with your mom? Should I expect her at all tonight, and will she call your phone?"

"Oh, she doesn't call," Elly laughed. "Go out, or stay in. The cook will make something, or you can order in. Do whatever. She will not notice or care, believe me."

"Okay," Haley said dubiously. "She doesn't…"

"Never has," Elly responded, knowing what Haley was going to say. The connection that had already formed between them. Elly had never thought twice about her mother's behavior; it wasn't like Lex's and Chelsea's parents were any less non-committal. But Ryan was so…he tried to be part of Haley's life. She couldn't help but envy her sister. Haley was smart, her grades were legitimate, she had a parent who actually cared, and she wouldn't go through life being Marissa Cooper's daughter. In some ways Elly loved that day in New York, being able to be totally free from everything in her past. It was why Elly loved to be Haley—she didn't have to deal with being herself. But she knew that someday she'd go back to being Elly. They couldn't hide forever.

"I-" Haley stuttered, unsure of how to react to such a strong statement.

"Look, you don't have to say anything," Elly said. "We'll talk later, okay? I'm off to Modern Euro History. Have we discussed how pissed I am at you for the fact that I'm reading about Stalin and you're buying True Religions with my best friends?"

Haley laughed as she noticed the pair of True Religions that hung over the dressing room chair. "Miss you."

"Miss you too." They hung up their phones.

And they realized that this little fantasy was for real. It wasn't some silly game that lasted two hours. They had become each other. And they were living another person's life.

NEWPORT

"Sum?" Seth called out into the expansive mansion Kirsten had given him and Summer when they married as a gift. "Su-um!"

"I'm in the bathroom, Cohen!" Summer shrieked from upstairs. Seth smiled, shoving his briefcase into the corner. He loved the days when he made it home for lunch. Especially now that all four of their kids were in school.

Summer came out of the bathroom, pale and haggard, smiling slightly when she saw Seth lying face up on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Holding up there, partner?" Summer laughed, coming over to him, as he dazedly looked up at her. He scooted over and she lay down next to him.

"How was your morning?" He asked as she nestled in his arms and he wrapped them snugly around her.

"Zoe decided to sleep late," Summer explained; Seth had left for work before any of them had been up that morning. "Then Evan decided he couldn't drop Julia off, because he had to pick up the newest girlfriend, Stephanie or something, so they could make out all the way to school. So I had to drive Jules to school. Brooke, I discovered early this morning, seems never to have made it home last night." Seth and Summer had four kids—all born in consecutive years. Evan was the eldest, their eighteen-year-old son. Next came Brooke, at sixteen, Zoe at fifteen, and Julia at fourteen. "Then I went to a meeting at Harbor. Then I met Taylor for coffee. The end," Summer smiled. "And yours?"

"I talked to Ryan on the phone," He began, still laughing from their kids' escapades. Their idea of parenting was fairly lax, but Brooke would still be grounded (not that she'd really listen) and Evan would be kindly asked to notify his mother in advance when he couldn't drive his youngest sister to school.

"Everything good with him and Haley?" Summer asked.

"I hope so. You'll never guess what happened to them in the past two days."

"What?" Summer asked.

"Your ex-best-friend decided to send her cutting, drinking, pill-popping half of the ex-twins to Julie Cooper in New York. To, of course, the same school that Haley goes too. The girls meet, that night they end up at the same party, Elly has some sort of panic attack and goes crazy with a flask and a razor, Haley takes her to the hospital, she calls Ryan, who comes, flips out, and tells them the truth. Elly calls Marissa but doesn't tell her about Haley and Ryan, Marissa comes to the hospital, sees them, flips out. They go back to Ryan's, Marissa and Ryan fight about the girls because Marissa's a terrible mom. Marissa and Elly go home. The end."

"Are you f(…)ing kidding me?" Summer asked, incredulous.

"Not this time," Seth smiled.

"Is Ryan okay?" Summer asked concernedly.

"I think so. I asked if he was going to try and get full custody of Elly. He said he hadn't thought about it. I don't know. It seemed like the whole Marissa and Elly show wasn't working out so fabulously."

"She's too self-absorbed to be a mom," Summer said dryly.

"You used to be her best friend," Seth reminded her.

"Before I found out what she did to Ryan. Before I realized what a vain obnoxious skank bitch she was. I don't even know why I put up with her all those years." Summer sighed, looking away. The memories of high school shook her every time she thought about those years.

Seth kissed her gently on the lips to soothe her obvious frustration. Then he pulled away. "Oh, and Haley's going to come and stay with us next weekend, okay?"

"Great! You know how much I love Haley," Summer smiled.

"I thought you'd be happy. Maybe she and Brooke can be friends this time around," Seth suggested. Brooke, Seth and Summer's oldest daughter, was Haley and Elly's closest friend when they were babies. But Seth and Summer didn't speak to Marissa, cutting off Elly from the extended Cohen family, and Brooke had become a little Newpsie just like Summer had been, the polar opposite of modest, quiet, studious Haley.

"Right. Maybe not," Summer grinned.

"You don't need something in common to be friends, you know," Seth reminded her. "I mean, me and Ryan? The similarities don't jump out at you."

"Good point," she agreed.

"Anyway, I'm going to go make us some sandwiches. You up for turkey?"

"Sounds great," Summer nodded. "I'll be right down, I just have to…put on some moisturizer."

Seth looked at her dubiously. "Okay."

Summer went back into the bathroom and looked at the thin white stick she'd wrapped in a tissue and put in a drawer. She sighed and placed it in the pile of six others and shut the drawer quickly, walking out of the bathroom to rejoin her husband.


	20. Chapter 20

LA

"Tonight, we're going out, okay?" Chelsea announced as she drove back to drop off Lex and then Haley.

"Yeah, sounds good," Haley said unsurely.

"Not back to that crap place where we met that Tyler guy," Lex insisted. "That place sucked."

"Okay," Chelsea responded. "I don't even care. I just need drinks and guys. The past few days have been insane. And we have the funeral tomorrow morning."

Haley almost asked whose funeral before realizing exactly whose it was. Ben's. She didn't completely understand the story but she thought she got as much: Chelsea was with Ben too soon after he and Elly had broken up for it to be okay, was trying to cover it up, the whole issue was dramatic, scary, and surreal, and none of them really wanted to deal with it. Haley knew there would be some false tears and nostalgia and she knew it would more difficult to act through than anything else so far. She couldn't help a Haley-ism when she added, "Should we go out? We have to be up so early."

Lex and Chelsea gave her a pathetic look.

Chelsea laughed hysterically. "What got into your system in New York, Ell? I thought you were done with drugs," she smirked tauntingly.

No wonder Elly did drugs, Haley thought to herself. These girls are extraordinarily obnoxious.

"Fine, we'll go out," Haley sighed. Lex grinned and jumped out of the car without a word when Chelsea pulled up in front of her gigantic mansion and a minute later Chelsea pulled up at the Coopers'.

"Look, nothing happened with me and Ben," Chelsea said, attempting to clear the air.

"How naïve do you think I am?" Haley asked self-righteously. She wouldn't let this brat go through with this.

"We were just hanging out! Everyone was there! Kelly, Andrew…"

"Yeah, more witnesses for when I blame you for hooking up with him. Right before he died," Haley emphasized.

"Elly. What happened to you? You're hallucinating. Look, your mom is so screwed up, I understand why you need to the drugs. Just admit it. S(…), you're going crazy," Chelsea laughed. Haley stared at her, forced her intense blue eyes on her, and Chelsea looked away.

"Look, I'll see you in the morning. You don't have to deny something that everyone knows you did," Haley said simply. She opened the car door and looked into the window. "Nobody believes you. You shouldn't waste your breath."

Haley walked away, walking up the stone steps, knowing Chelsea's eyes were narrowed and staring at her. She didn't even care. She didn't care that she was ruining Elly's so-called friendships, and she didn't care that she was playing around with her sister's life.

It was good that she was trying to make things better; make Elly's life healthier.

But it wouldn't even matter. The way the following events would play out; the lives of Marissa, Ryan, Elly, and Haley and the ongoing sagas that were troubling them, all separated; Elly would never live in Los Angeles again.

NY

"Hey," Aiden said, smiling as Elly sat down next to him on the bench outside of the school building during lunch. She realized it was the bench where she'd met Graham and she bit her lip. She tried to get the pictures of him out of her head.

"Hey," Elly said back.

"Did you eat already? We could go…" Aiden offered, more embarrassedly than Elly had expected. He was popular, athletic, and good-looking. She was surprised that he'd asked Haley out to begin with—and she was surprised it wasn't just an attempt to hook up with something vaguely hot. But it seemed like he wanted to go somewhere with the semi-relationship he seemed to think they had.

"Yeah, I just did," Elly lied. The sandwich from the deli across the street was still wrapped up and in her bag. As soon as she answered him, she watched his face fall. He seemed crushed. She wasn't interested in going anywhere with him, but she knew she had to. For Haley. "But we could do something after school, or tonight, or…"

"Yeah, sure," Aiden agreed, perking up a little bit. "Coffee after school?"

"Great. We'll meet here?" Elly said.

"Can't wait," he nodded enthusiastically. "I have to go meet with Hensley about my bio test. I'll see you then?"

"Yeah," Elly said. She watched as he walked away, turning back at the door to smile and wave at her. She knew he was cute and that every other girl at Parry would be more than thrilled to be in his position. But there was no attraction whatsoever. Elly wasn't used to being forced into being with a guy like this. She didn't have a problem with him, but they had no chemistry, and Elly realized that.

She also realized that Graham had been right across the street, watching the exchange—every wave, smile, and flirtatious giggle that Elly had had to force out. She stood, and called out his name, but a cab passed by in front of him, and by the time it was gone, so was he.

NEWPORT

"Hello?" Kirsten answered the phone. She was spending the afternoon by the pool, accompanied by her sunglasses and book, and she was completely content. Ever since she and Sandy had retired, she was perfectly happy relaxing, spending time with the few Newpsies she could deal with, and being with Seth and Summer and the kids. Sandy was out surfing. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day.

"Kirsten?" Kirsten sat up in the chaise lounge, recognizing the faint voice slightly.

"Who is this?" Kirsten said stiffly.

"Jimmy," the voice continued. "Look, I know you don't want to talk to me—"

"You got that right," Kirsten said dryly.

"You won't have to deal with me for much longer," Jimmy said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Kirsten said, more curious than concerned.

"I won't be alive in a month. Kirsten, I have cancer."

Kirsten's jaw dropped although she hadn't spoken to or cared about Jimmy years.

"Oh my god," Kirsten breathed. "Where are you? Are you okay?"

"I'm in Newport," Jimmy sighed. "You don't have to talk to me, I just wondered if you knew Marissa's phone number."

"So you haven't…" Kirsten said, trailing off.

"Kept in touch? Of course not. When she said she wanted me out of her life when she was seventeen, she was serious. After her divorce, I never heard from her again." Jimmy exhaled. "I won't bother you. I guess you don't have the number?"

"I have it, I think," Kirsten sighed. "Let me just go look for it." She propped the phone on her shoulder and stood up, walking past the poolhouse and into the house. "Are you at Newport—"

"Memorial Hospital," Jimmy said. "Yeah."

"Is…anyone there with you?" Kirsten said delicately. She hated Jimmy for what he had done; hated him more than words could express. But she still had compassion for him. They'd grown up together. They'd been high school sweethearts. She'd lost her virginity to him. And it was his child that she'd aborted during her senior year. She despised him, but not enough to ignore him in the last month of his life.

"It's okay," Jimmy insisted.

"I've got the number." Kirsten said after she had dug through Sandy's office drawer. She remembered the day she'd angrily shoved the piece of paper with Marissa's information into it, Sandy convincing her to keep it when all she wanted to do was thunderously rip it to shreds and burn it. Kirsten read him the digits, waiting patiently for him to copy them down.

"Thank you so much, Kirsten," Jimmy said gratefully. "I doubt she'll care, or even talk to me, but thank you."

"I'll come by," she offered.

"It's alright," he persisted. "Really."

"It's not," she said. "I'll come by tomorrow, hopefully. I'll see."

"Thank you," he said awkwardly, unable to find the words Kirsten knew he wanted to use to express his thankfulness. She still knew him well, after all those years. She hung up the phone and went back to her chair but she wasn't as comfortable as she had been before. She couldn't relax. She went back inside and stared at the piece of paper with her son's ex-wife's phone number for a long, long time. Wondering what Marissa was up to. She'd been a member of their family, once. She'd been close to them. And then everything had come crashing down. Marissa had taken one of her grandchildren away. She couldn't stand that. Maybe Elly, that sixth grandchild she'd never gotten the chance to know, was the reason why after an hour she was still fingering the piece of paper gingerly in her hand. Perhaps Elly was the reason why she picked up the phone, waited for the ring tone, and dialed.


	21. Chapter 21

LA

"Hello?" Haley said, picking up her cell phone.

"Hi, Elly, it's Kate."

Kate must be another friend, Haley thought to herself. She figured Elly had called around and told people she had a number switch.

"Did you get the new number in New York? Just so that I can put it in your Mom's Blackberry. This is the right number, correct?"

"Yeah," Haley said vaguely. Kate. Where had she heard the name before?

"Anyway, is your mom at home? She's not picking up any of her phones, so I thought I'd try you."

Kate must be an assistant, Haley realized. That made more sense.

"Um, no, she's not," Haley said. "Sorry."

"Oh, that's alright, sweetheart," Kate smiled. "Also, I just got a call from a weird number, I looked it up, Newport Beach, California? Does your mom have a friend there or something? Just because we're being especially careful with security, and all."

Haley pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Newport Beach. Where her dad's family lived. Grandma Kirsten, Grandpa Sandy, Aunt Summer, Uncle Seth, and her cousins—Evan, Brooke, Zoe, and Julia. She didn't know why Marissa would be getting calls from Newport, though. She was shaky on the details. She didn't think Marissa was from Newport. Unless…

"Yeah, she has an old friend who lives there. You know, from a long time ago…" Haley trailed off, hoping that Kate would give her some information. She hated that she was digging for information about her mother's life with her assistant.

"From high school?" Kate asked.

"Yeah," Haley replied shakily. She was stunned. Was it possible that her dad and Marissa had been together since high school?

Kate read off the number, Haley thanked her, and hung up. Haley lay on Elly's bed for what felt like forever, wondering if she'd get the courage to call the number that she knew was her grandmother's. But why would Kirsten be calling Marissa? Had they kept in touch? Haley shuddered. She despised the fact that her dad had kept secrets from her. She realized, then, that so had the rest of her family—her grandparents, Aunt Summer and Uncle Seth—they had to know. She felt betrayed. She had to call her grandmother back. She'd have to be Haley for a few minutes, just so she could talk to her grandmother. She was frustrated, and furious.

"Hello?" Haley recognized her grandma's voice immediately.

"Hi, Grandma, it's Haley," she sighed.

"Haley!" Kirsten laughed, overjoyed. "I haven't heard from you in ages!"

"It's been a little hectic these past few days," Haley said sourly. "Marissa and Elly popped up."

"Oh my god," Kirsten said, breathing heavily, in shock. "And…"

"They live in LA, but Marissa sent Elly to New York because she was doing some drugs and drinking and stuff. She was living with Marissa's mom, and she went to my school. Then Dad found out, and Marissa came, and everything sort of unraveled…" Haley explained. By the end of the story, she was sobbing, Kirsten trying to comfort her on the phone. Haley didn't know why she was crying. But the world around her felt like one entire lie. When she looked around the room and saw Elly's life displayed around her, she realized that it was.

"Oh, sweetheart," Kirsten said softly. "I don't know what to say."

"Grandma?" Haley said quietly. She knew she shouldn't. But there was a burning feeling in the pit of her stomach that she couldn't get rid of. She decided she had to. She had always trusted and adored her grandmother. "I kind of have something important to tell you."

"Are you okay?" Kirsten said worriedly. "Is your dad okay?"

"I don't really know," Haley hiccupped. "I'm not in New York."

"What?" Kirsten asked confusedly. "What's going on, darling?"

"I'm in LA," Haley continued. "I think I made a mistake."

"Haley? LA? Did Marissa take you back with her? Is Elly there?" Kirsten asked.

"Me and Elly switched," Haley gasped.

"So you're in LA with Marissa?" Kirsten questioned incredulously. "And your sister is in New York with Ryan?"

"Uh huh," Haley sniffled. "I don't know what to do."

"I'll come get you," Kirsten said determinedly. "It's a short drive. I'll come and get you and we'll decide what to do. You were supposed to be in Newport this weekend anyway."

"I don't know," Haley said quietly. "I don't want to let Elly down. And it's probably better that she's in New York…with Dad…being me. I've seen her friends here. I—"

"You have to do what's best for you," Kirsten reminded her. "You can talk to your dad. Maybe both of you could live with him. It seems like Marissa's too busy to be able to handle a daughter anyway."

"That's obvious," Haley agreed sadly. "But she'd never be okay with it. Dad tried, when we were in New York."

"He'd get custody if he wanted it," Kirsten reminded her granddaughter. "Look, I'll support you if you want to go through with this. But I just…you have to be sure that…"

"Everything's okay," Haley said. "I just ditched Elly's best friend because she's a cheating coke-addicted whore."

"Well, when you put it that way," Kirsten chuckled. "I have an idea. When Elly comes this weekend, pretending to be you…will you come too?"

"Okay. But we'll still be…"

"Each other. I know. But you girls will be able to spend some time together, and it'll be less awkward for you. You could even switch back for the weekend, nobody would ever know."

"That would be nice," Haley relented. "To be myself for a second." She smiled inwardly, then frowned. "Will Marissa go for it?"

"I'll talk to her. There's something I had to tell her anyway," Kirsten sighed. "And Haley?"

"Yeah?"

"I promise I won't tell anyone. Not even Sandy."

Haley smiled, appreciating her grandmother's offer. "You can tell Grandpa. But nobody else. Uncle Seth can't keep a secret for his life."

"Okay. Maybe Grandpa will be able to help your dad if he ends up wanting to go for full custody of Elly," Kirsten suggested.

"Okay," Haley agreed. "So you'll talk to Marissa?"

"Absolutely. Bye, sweetheart," Kirsten said. They hung up, both happier than they had been in a while.


	22. Chapter 22

LA

"Well, what the h(…) should I do?" Haley demanded anxiously over the phone. "She's still there!"

"She's a very determined girl," Elly assured her, smirking. "She won't leave."

Haley peered out of the huge frosted glass window that interrupted the hot pink paint of Elly's bedroom. In the driveway was Chelsea's car, still there after ten minutes, Chelsea honking the horn obnoxiously all the while.

"I might as well go," Haley sighed after a moment.

"That's the Elly spirit!" Elly laughed. "So, what are you wearing?"

"Navy satin Marc Jacobs spaghetti strap top," Haley began, "With your skinny J Brand jeans."

"Dark wash or light wash?" Elly asked inquisitively.

"Dark," Haley announced after looking into the closet for a moment.

"Good pick," Elly said approvingly. "Heels?"

"Flats," Haley assured her. "We're on the verge of five nine, remember?"

"Try on the verge of five ten," Elly reported smugly.

"You are so not even close," Haley giggled, quickly swiping on some mascara on her way out the door. As she grabbed her Gucci bag—rather, Elly's Gucci bag—on the way out the door, she clutched the phone to her ear.

"I swear," Elly laughed. Then she paused. "I think."

"B(….)," Haley told her.

"You go, have fun with Chelsea," Elly sighed. "I'm a little jealous."

"Don't be, she's being annoying," Haley sighed.

"She's always annoying. I'm used to it," Elly explained. "No drugs. Don't flip out when you see bad stuff. Call me when you wig out."

"I won't wig out!" Haley protested.

"My cell's on," Elly replied, ignoring Haley's last comment.

"See you in four days!" Haley squealed. "Bye!"

"Bye!" Elly said, hanging up. She'd never been the sappy, emotional type—she was a drama queen, but she never let actual emotions seep through, the one way she wasn't like her mother—but she was excited to see Haley, for real. She hated Marissa for letting her live 16 years without her sister.

Because so far, Haley was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

NEWPORT

Kirsten calmly, slowly dialed the numbers, wishing there was a way out of this. But there wasn't. She had to do it. And she would.

"Kate speaking," a woman on the other end said monotonously.

"Hi, I'm Kirsten Cohen?" Kirsten began, realizing it must be an assistant of Marissa's. "I'm the mother of Marissa's ex-husband." She hated the brutality of the words but knew she had to make her case quickly.

"Let me get her," Kate said quickly and awkwardly. Marissa sat, an irritated scowl played across her face, sipping coffee and talking on a cell phone while a director tried to tell her something. Typical, Kate sighed. Too typical. "Marissa? It's Kirsten Cohen for you? Your ex's mom?"

Kate had never seen Marissa's face the way it looked in that one twisted moment. She became ashen, all color draining from her, her eyes suddenly sallow and sad. A sparkle from her eyes disappeared. She apologized to the irritated director and walked over, giving Kate a small nod, taking the phone, and walking off to take the call.

"Hello?" Marissa said hesitantly. She was quiet, unsure. She hadn't spoken to Kirsten since the breakup. Kirsten had always been like Marissa's second mother—only mother, Marissa decided, when she thought about it—and she had missed keeping in touch with her.

"Marissa," Kirsten said. "Hi."

"Hi," Marissa said with an awkward, insecure giggle. Marissa was never insecure, at least on the outside. She modeled; she acted—but it was only to cover up the pain she'd never fully released from her troubled years in Newport and the messy breakup with the only man she would ever really love.

"I know this is awkward…" Kirsten began.

"No, no, it's okay," Marissa said, relaxing slightly.

"I heard what happened, a few days ago," Kirsten explained. "Are you okay?" She couldn't help but add the anxious motherly words. It was in her nature.

"I will be," Marissa said, a bit too brightly. She knew Kirsten would read through her phoniness right away.

"I talked to Haley on the phone. She's coming to Newport this weekend; Ryan's going on a business trip of some sort. We were wondering, well, rather, hoping—that maybe Elly could come up for the weekend, too."

"Wow," Marissa said hesitantly. She thought of her daughter. Of the normal life she'd never really gotten to have. She knew Elly would be thrilled if she got to go visit Haley, as well as meet all the relatives she'd never gotten a chance to have. "I guess so."

"Summer and I are going to come to LAX to pick up Haley, so if that works out for you, you can just drop Elly off there and we'll bring her back at the end of the weekend."

"Great," Marissa said. Her eyes welled with tears. This could have been Elly's life. She could have smoothed things over with Ryan. She could've tried to make things right with Sandy and Kirsten, with Summer and Seth, with all the people who had been the only ones she could really trust all through high school, college, the first years with Ryan—but she didn't. She had to let Elly have this chance.

"You're sure you're okay?" Kirsten asked. She felt bad for Marissa. Elly was just as wild and crazy as Marissa had been as a teenager. Marissa was busy with modeling, and Kirsten had never thought that either of them led a healthy lifestyle.

"Yep," Marissa said, letting out a shuddering breath and a heaving sob.

"Why don't you come this weekend?" Kirsten offered after a moment.

"Oh, I couldn't…" Marissa began.

"Absolutely! Nonsense!" Kirsten enthused. "It's been sixteen years, Marissa. If things can't be made right now, the world is doomed."

Marissa laughed. "And Summer—"

"Will forgive you. I'll talk to her. We'll work this out. Elly and Haley don't want to be separated, and they won't let you and Ryan's problems get in the way of that. This whole mess should've been cleaned up years ago. We'll deal with this as a family."

When Marissa hung up, her face had been splashed with an enormous, real, thrilled, grin. She put down the phone and was immediately blinded by flashing lights. Tim, the head photographer, and his crew, had come up to her, taking advantage of the first legitimate pose that they'd needed for weeks now. Marissa was radiant, flushed, smiling.

"Hold it, Marissa, hold the face. This is perfect. I haven't seen you like this in years." Tim was delighted by his client's joy. This was the real Marissa, the one he'd loved when he started photographing her a little less than twenty years ago. Something about her sparkled, and when she was happy, her eyes seemed to light up.

Marissa kept the thoughts of Ryan, the Cohens, and Haley and Elly in her mind, and in an hour Tim and Kate returned, beaming excitedly, praising her more than they had in years.

She thought of those people—the ones she really, truly, loved—all the way home.

NY

"Hello?" Elly melted at his voice.

"Graham?" She asked hopefully.

"Please don't do this," Graham told her. "What am I supposed to do? Wait until you and your sister switch back?"

"Graham," she begged, "I want us."

"Great. I want us too. It's a shame you aren't actually you." Graham sighed, and Elly bit her lip. "Look, call me when you're ready to figure this out. I'm not going to be your secret hookup buddy for when Aiden's too busy staring at himself in the mirror."

"I have to do this for Haley," Elly tried to explain. "I don't like him!"

"Why don't you do something for you?" Graham asked. Elly's worries were confirmed when the next sound she heard was the dial tone. She flopped back onto Haley's bed with a sigh. She genuinely liked Graham—she didn't think she'd really ever felt that way about a guy. There was Ben, but he was just Ben. He was there with a shot when she was feeling s(…)y, he picked her up when she couldn't deal with Marissa and they would go to random parties. He was her escape. She loved him, and she had lost her virginity to him. But she had always known that he was a druggie, more than she'd ever been, and because of what he did, she could never completely, totally, trust him or love him.

She had considered taking up Ryan's suggestion and inviting Audrey over, but she wasn't in the mood for talking about the SATs and watching a bad movie. She could feign a relationship with Aiden—it was like the relationships she'd been feigning all her life—but feigning a friendship was harder. It wasn't like with Lex, for example, where they would just shop and party. There wasn't an actual connection or much talking involved in either of those things. But Audrey was an intense, nerdy, person. And Elly was also afraid her cover might be broken. She knew that her friends wouldn't figure out Haley, but Audrey was smart. She might figure everything out. And that was the last thing Elly wanted.

Elly realized it was already ten, so she went to the state-of-the-art kitchen, grabbed the pizza delivery menu, and called. When she opened the freezer to grab the carton of Cherry Garcia she knew would be there, she noticed something else. Under a box of Eggo waffles and some frozen chicken fingers in a Ziploc bag were three unopened bottles of Grey Goose.

Elly did not want to resort to this. I'm Haley, she repeated in her mind over and over. I can't do this. I don't drink. I'm not this girl. This was LA me, this was partier me. She held it in her hand, not wanting to put it back, not wanting to drink it and hate herself for it later. The pizza came, she ate, and she retreated to her bedroom. Haley hadn't called. Neither had Graham. Ryan never returned. She did have a total of four text messages from Aiden, and she sighed as she flipped though them.

She sat there for hours, staring across the room at the bottle sitting on the antique dresser, her blue eyes connecting with it, piercing it, hating it and loving it at the same time. The only other eyes that had looked at a bottle of vodka with that intensity were her mother's. Elly hated that. But she didn't know what to do.

She took the bottle in her hand once more.


	23. Chapter 23

LA

"Drink?" Chelsea asked, smiling impishly, when she and Haley entered the club.

"Yeah, whatever," Haley said nonchalantly as Chelsea walked off. She imagined Elly applauding in her head. I can always just hold it, Haley said to herself.

She looked around. What seemed like millions of people were drinking, making out, dancing outrageously. She noticed Chelsea go up to at least five people on the way to the bar, kissing each of their cheeks and complimenting outfits. This, at least, was something Haley was used to. Fake complimenting was not only a California thing, she thought to herself.

"Elly!" A tall blond guy came over and hugged her. His girlfriend, a short girl with brown hair, clung to his arm. Haley hated couples like that.

"I'm so sorry about Ben," the girl said, putting on a dramatic sad face. "I know how much he meant to you."

"Thanks," Haley said simply, unsure of what to say.

" Erica, you b(….)!" A tall, striking, model-type called from a few feet away. The short girl, whose name, Haley supposed, was Erica, broke away from her boyfriend and grinned. The two girls embraced. "Where have you f(….)ing been all my life?"

"F(…)ing him?" Another guy laughed, pointing to Erica's Boyfriend, approaching the group. The Model kissed him on the cheek. "Hey, Curt."

"Very funny," Erica's Boyfriend laughed. Erica blushed profusely.

"Who's up for something good?" The Model asked, flashing a brilliant white smile as she pulled a flask bigger than Haley remembered Elly's being out of her bag.

"Lifesaver!" Erica smiled. She noticed Haley looking at them curiously. "Elly, get the f(…) over here!"

"You can't mourn over Ben all your life," The Model laughed. Erica giggled awkwardly.

"Sure," Haley said after pushing the word out of her lips. Mistake, mistake, mistake, she kept repeating to herself.

"One for you," Erica's boyfriend said, passing out shot glasses as The Model filled them.

"Oh, come on, that's all I get?" Curt protested.

"I'll give you another later," The Model laughed flirtatiously. "Plus, I know you're driving. Everyone knows you got a Bentley two weeks ago and you're virtually addicted to it."

"You would be too," Curt reminded The Model.

"I'm fine with the Lexus. No flashy cars for me," The Model said.

"You have a Lexus because you smashed your Lamborghini," Erica's Boyfriend reminded her with a smirk.

"Shut up!" The Model said, shoving him. Erica's Boyfriend pinched her arm. Erica, obviously, disliked this, and decided to lodge herself between her boyfriend and The Model, neither of whose names Haley had figured out.

"Here's Elly's," Curt said, handing her a glass.

"Thanks," Haley smiled.

"You've been quiet," The Model realized after staring her down for a moment. "You okay?"

"The whole Ben thing…" Haley sighed, and they all nodded. Good, Haley thought to herself. No explanation needed. "I guess I just really need this."

"And this won't suck, either," Chelsea laughed, floating into the little circle. She passed Haley a martini. "Here's to Ben, Elly's return, and the start of a fabulous and crazy night!"

"Cheers!" The Model laughed. Haley watched as they clinked glasses and each person threw back a shot.

"Dance time!" Chelsea blurted out once she had put the glass on the table. "Who's with me?"

"All of us!" Erica laughed. "Where's Lex? Kelly? Andy?"

"Andy's parents and Ben's parents were close," The Model reminded her. "Especially Andy's mom and Ben's dad. So he'll probably be late, his parents, I'm sure, don't want him to go out the night before the funeral."

"No s(…), Sherlock," Curt retorted, making them laugh. "Lex said she'd show up later. Her dad was making her have a family dinner or some s(…) like that."

"Poor Lex," Erica's Boyfriend laughed.

"I guess Kelly will show up," Erica said. She peered onto the dance floor, where celebrities—and their children—were all dancing wildly. "Wait! There she is! KELLY!" She screeched. Erica, Chelsea, and The Model went to go meet their friend.

"Ready?" Curt said jokingly, noticing Haley's uncomfortable expression.

"Yeah," Haley nodded. She walked up to where the girls were beginning to dance with Curt and Erica's Boyfriend. Under her breath, she added, as ready as I'll ever be. She looked at the martini in its glass before making an impulse decision, downing it in three enormous gulps, and joining Elly's friends.

Party time, girls and boys.


	24. Chapter 24

NEWPORT

"You okay?" Summer asked her husband, who was sitting on the living room sofa late that night with pudding and a frown on his face. She sat down next to him and he wrapped his arms around her.

"My mom just called," Seth told her.

"Everything okay?" Summer asked.

"Yeah," Seth said. "Well, sort of."

"For once, you're not rambling. Ramble, Seth. What's going on?" Summer laughed.

"Well, Haley's coming this weekend," Seth began. "As is Elly."

"Oh my god," Summer said. "Your mom…"

"Well, apparently Haley called her and they worked out the details. The girls hate the situation."

"Who wouldn't," Summer nodded. "That's great. That they get to see each other."

"I know," Seth agreed. "As much as I know why Ryan and Marissa had to do it…I mean, they split up twin sisters. They lied to them."

"Yeah," Summer said. "I'm excited. Brooke, Elly, and Haley. This will be interesting."

"You could say that," Seth grinned. "If only Marissa and Ryan were coming. It would feel like…"

"Sixteen years ago," Summer filled in. "Except then, Marissa was my best friend and we were still the Fantastic Four."

"It's been a long time," Seth admitted.

Summer looked down to her stomach. What was growing inside of her. Their fifth child. She hadn't been pregnant for fourteen years. It felt like lifetimes ago since Julia was their unborn fourth child. "It has been a long time," she said. "A really long time."

"You okay?" Seth asked, growing concerned. "You seem off."

"Thanks," Summer said sarcastically. "I still rage blackout, you know."

"Less often. I think marriage has settled you down a bit," Seth joked.

Summer shoved him. "I'm fine."

"If you say so," Seth said. He kissed her cheek. "I'm going up. You?"

"That's all I get?" Summer laughed. Seth smiled and they came closer together, beginning to make out on the couch.

"Classic," Zoe scoffed, walking past the living room, noticing her parents on the couch.

Summer broke their kiss. "Why aren't you in bed!"

"Get over it. It's not late at all!" Zoe called from the kitchen. She passed through the living room again, two cookies on a plate and a bottle of water in her hand.

"Can I have one of those?" Seth asked his daughter as she walked by.

"Nope," Zoe grinned.

"Ow!" Seth shouted as Summer elbowed him.

"Bed, Zoe!" Summer called after her. She looked at her husband, pouting next to her. "There's a bed upstairs for us…"

"Completely empty," Seth smiled, standing up.

"And private," Summer groaned, following him up the stairs.

The sex that night was mediocre for both of them. Perhaps it was because they were both hiding a secret, a big secret. Summer was hiding her pregnancy. Seth was hiding the fact that Marissa would be coming to Newport as well.

Perhaps the napkin would be making another appearance.

NY

"Morning," Elly said quietly as she slid into the seat across from Ryan at the breakfast table. A place of pancakes was at its center; a carton of orange juice beside it. The newspaper was stacked neatly at the table's edge. If it had been Marissa's house, Elly would've thought it had been for one of two reasons (more likely both, she realized)—bribery, or a photo shoot, two things that had occurred often at her home in LA that she had always utterly detested. But she was in New York, with her father, Ryan. Her father.

"You hungover?" Ryan asked, slightly bitterly.

"I only had a little," Elly objected.

"You had enough," Ryan returned gruffly. "What's been going on? You know you can talk to me."

"I do need to talk to you," Elly agreed. "With Elly."

"But—" Ryan began.

"In Newport," Elly explained. "This weekend."

"Oh, Hales. You know how much I want to," her father sighed, defeated.

"Your entire life has been focused on me and work. Someday one of them has to win the race, right?" Elly said. She wrapped a pancake delicately in a napkin and took a swig of juice before shoving her chair back and standing up. "I talked to Grandma Kirsten, and we invited Elly for the weekend in Newport. She's coming. We need to talk to you. Come if you think it's important enough. If you think we're important enough."

Ryan stayed silent as he watched his daughter leave the room. He sighed and sat there, thinking, for a long, long time.

LA

"Mom?" Haley asked quietly when she woke up, head pounding with a splitting headache, a thin, warm body wrapped around her. She'd wanted to be able to use that one, simple word all her life. She'd gotten more than she'd bargained for. She'd gotten a supermodel mother, an identical twin sister, and…a f(…)ing PAINFUL headache.

"Elly, baby," Marissa whispered. "I'm sorry."

It was the type of sorry that Haley knew was meant to cover years of misdeeds, an all-encompassing, general sort of sorry.

"I know," Haley whispered back.

"We're going to Newport this weekend. Haley will be there. Ryan's mom, Kirsten, invited us. And I'll show you my old world. Ryan's parents—his adoptive parents—were practically mine. You'll meet my old best friend, actually, my ex-step-sister. She married Ryan's brother. Your aunt and uncle. And you cousins, Elly, okay, baby? I'm so sorry, sweetie, for keeping you from Haley, and from Ryan, and your family. I'm sorry I didn't protect you, I wasn't there for you. Oh, Elly, I was never there! I'm—I'm—" Marissa sobbed, breaking down, hugging her daughter tightly.

"It's okay," Haley replied, tearing up herself, wishing Elly could hear the words she'd deserved to hear for 16 years.

"We'll be okay, right?" Marissa asked quietly.

"Of course," Haley answered.

"We'll be a real family again," Marissa promised her daughter. "Really."

And Haley believed her.


	25. Chapter 25

NY

It was Thursday morning. The last day of school before Elly would get on her flight to Los Angeles that evening. Ryan couldn't come, but he had promised to do a phone conference on speakerphone with the girls. Elly didn't know if she'd be back on Monday, or if Haley would, or neither of them. She did know that she had to settle things with Graham before she left for the weekend.

"Can we talk?" She asked him between classes, approaching him by his locker.

"I'm not going to be your replacement fuck buddy," Graham replied coldly and simply. "I really liked you. At least, I thought I did." The words made Elly cringe.

"It's not like that—" she began hesitantly.

"No?" He asked thunderously, green eyes fiery and livid with rage. "Then what is it like, HALEY?" He boomed.

"It's like, I came to New York to get away from the drama and the shit in my life, and I just got more. It's like, the guy I had a semi-relationship with for fucking years overdosed and died last week. It's like, Haley and I switched because both of our lives had gotten out of control and all of a sudden there was another parent and an identical twin sister. And I'm not Haley. But I have to be her; become her. It's like a game. And I like you, that's what it's like, but I have to be with Aiden because that's Haley." Elly stared at him, breathing deeply in recovery from her outburst. She looked him in the eye, hoping that maybe now he'd understand, understand where she was coming from, the position she was in, how frustrated she was. "That's what it's like," she whispered, and walked away.

LA

Their clothes were tight and showy and designer, even in their solemn colors. Their sunglasses were not shielding the world from their tears, but shielding themselves from the paparazzi. Their sobs were as fake as their usual smiles. Ben was dead, and LA lived on.

Haley began to recognize the faces around her. Chelsea and Lex. Andy, Erica, Charlie, Mia (The Model), Kelly, and the rest. A handful of recognizable celebrities had shown up; Ben's dad was a big-time agent. Haley joined the crowd around the grave. The ceremony was brief; quiet; simple. It wasn't because it was what Ben would have wanted but because time was money and everything was done quickly in their world. Haley wondered if this was what Elly would have expected, or if it would have been as hurtful to watch all these people not caring as it was for Haley, though she had never even met Ben. Haley noticed the details—how Ben's dad was making a business deal just after the ceremony ended; how Lex picked up her cell phone and whispered into it about weekend plans in the middle. Her own head ached with a brutal hangover. Afterwards, she was set to drive home, when she noticed Marissa standing at the edge of the cemetery. Haley ran over, as fast as she could in Elly's Christian Louboutin pumps.

"Mom?" Haley asked breathlessly.

"Hi, baby. Can I drive you home?" Marissa asked hopefully.

"My car—" Haley began in her practical way, though she was smiling broadly.

"Kate can get it later," Marissa said dismissively. "We could get lunch?"

"Yeah," Haley agreed, breaking out into a grin, "I'd like that.

Marissa beamed, proud at the effort she was making and the way her daughter was receiving it. "Me too."

NY

"Can I come in?" Ryan called from outside Haley's closed bedroom door.

"Sure," Elly called from within, where she was attempting to shove a few last articles of clothing into a Kate Spade suitcase for the weekend in Newport.

"I've been thinking a lot," Ryan admitted, sitting down on Haley's bed.

"Me too," Elly admitted.

"I found the vodka," Ryan told her quietly.

"I know," Elly whispered.

"I'm scared," Ryan admitted. "Marissa drank."

"Really?" Elly asked, her head shooting up to meet his gaze. "I mean, when she was my age?"

"Yep," Ryan sighed. "Heavily. I think our second encounter ever involved me rescuing her because she was passed out in her driveway."

"Wow," Elly said. That was a story she'd never heard, even from the tabloids that liked to rag on minute details of her mother's past. "Did she stop?"

"Sometimes," Ryan said honestly. "When we were good. So not so often. When we were on the rocks, or broken up, out came good old Flask Cooper. She's used the same one since high school. I bet she still does. You know what her drink of choice was?"

"Vodka," Elly whispered, knowing the answer.

"Right," Ryan replied simply. "It ruined our marriage. It's ruining Elly. I can't let that happen to another person I love."

Elly bit her lip; her eyes burned. It was a combination of realizing that he thought she was being ruined, and realizing that he loved her. Really, actually loved her—and cared. She wasn't sure if he meant that he still loved Marissa, and she was surprised he'd admit it. But her heart was still beating wildly, unsure if she was happy or sad or excited or scared or maybe all of them.

"I'm going to sue for full custody of Elly," Ryan said, looking wistfully out the window. "And I think both of you should move to Newport."

"Wait," Elly gasped, eyes bulging. "Newport?"

"It's for the best," Ryan told her, looking pained. "It could take a few months; Marissa's stubborn. She'll put up a fight. She never could figure out how to make a good decision. But I can't let this happen. It happened to too many people I love already. I couldn't save Marissa from it. But I can save Elly. And you," he said, looking into her eyes meaningfully. He never made passionate speeches like this, but everything had changed since the twins met, since he saw Marissa. Everything had changed.

"My flight's in two hours. I need to go," Elly said abruptly; uncomfortably; impulsively. She grabbed her suitcase and purse and flew from the room.

"Haley!" Ryan called after her. "Hales, wait!" He shouted. But she was gone. Because she knew that she wasn't Haley anymore, and she had to go and meet the real Haley. Explain the situation. Figure out a solution. She wouldn't deal with this on her own, like she'd been dealing with things alone for all her life. Now she had a twin sister, a partner-in-crime, and they were a team. And the team would win.

Ryan heard the front door slam. It took him a minute to realize that she was really gone. Then he raced to pack a small bag and called his secretary to set up a private plane. And then he rushed after her. All roads lead to Newport, he thought sourly, as his taxi drove away from their house towards the airport. Always.


	26. Chapter 26

hey everyone-

i just wanted to say thank you for reading and reviewing! i wanted to let you all know that after this one, there are going to be 5 more chapters of the parent trap left. i'm working on two other stories, though, and will start them on fan fiction when i feel the time is right!

the parent trap started on the oc forum boards on fox's website, which have all but collapsed. i can only hope that this fan fiction site can hold all of the oc excitement and ideas left in the fans for a long time to come. the parent trap was originally much, much longer than what i'm going to post on here, and if you're interested in the extended version, i recommend searching "the parent trap" on fox's oc fan fiction section. for now, though, i think the story should end in a place that makes sense and gives it an ending. even though i miss the oc more than i thought possible, i'm realizing that all good things have to come to an end at some point, or else you won't be able to enjoy the memories you have of them to their fullest.

anyway, please keep reviewing- i love seeing what you all think- and i hope you like the rest of this story!

bec1001

NEWPORT

"Elly!" Elly heard a voice call out. She hadn't heard her real name in so long, it sounded foreign and bizarre to her. She'd been in New York for about a week but it felt like so much longer than that. She found her bag on the carousel and turned to find the voice's owner. "Elly!"

Elly turned and found the face of Kirsten Cohen, who she recognized only from a picture Haley had emailed her. She was thin and blond, with smiling eyes, and she immediately enveloped her long-lost granddaughter in a hug.

"Oh, Elly," Kirsten cried. "I'm so glad you're here." She sniffled, smiling through her tears.

"Glad to be here," Elly laughed. "Is Haley with you?"

Kirsten's eyes twinkled. "Haley and your mom are meeting us at our house in Newport in an hour or two. Your dad called and filled me in on what happened; Sandy—my husband, your grandpa—is going to pick him up. He just had to run into the office quickly, so he'll get Ryan and bring him back in a few hours."

Kirsten and Elly got into the car and began the hour-long drive from LAX to Newport.

"I can't believe that everyone will be reunited," Kirsten mused as she drove. "Ryan and Marissa don't know anything, right?"

"They each know that both me and Haley will be there. We haven't figured out how or if we'll break the news to them," Elly admitted.

"It's time," Kirsten advised. "You can't do this forever."

"Ryan's threatening to send us to live here in Newport anyway," Elly said. "Well, he threatened me. Before I left."

"He wants what's best for you," Kirsten reminded her. "He just might not know."

"I guess," Elly said doubtfully.

"What would be the ideal situation?" Kirsten asked.

"I guess there really isn't one," Elly sighed. "I mean, I'd rather go back to New York than stay with Mom, in LA. Ryan wants full custody anyway. But then, if Haley and I are in New York with Ryan, that kind of defeats the purpose of this whole plan."

"What was the purpose?" Kirsten asked. "Just to clarify."

"Originally? To get Ryan and Mom back together," Elly admitted, giggling slightly. "They're still totally in love, and they don't even realize it. And then Haley and I could be together again, and they would be. Neither of them are happy right now."

"That's true," Kirsten said. "I have to say, the fact alone that neither of them have been in a long-term relationship points to the fact that they're not quite over one another yet."

"I know," Elly agreed. "It's time for them to realize that. So Haley and I figured we'd just push the process forward a little bit, for our advantage. And also, my life was kind of going crazy, and Haley was bored of hers, and we each wanted to get to know the other parent. It worked out nicely. Sort of."

"You girls are very smart," Kirsten told Elly, as they pulled into the Cohen house driveway. She looked over at her granddaughter seriously, amazed at her likeness to a young Marissa—tall, thin, blond, big blue eyes. But she was a different person, Kirsten reminded herself. She was Elly. She'd never gotten the chance to know Elly. And Kirsten knew that she wanted the chance now, and she wouldn't let Ryan and Marissa tear the twins apart again. "You have a lot of power now, thanks to this scheme—which was brilliant, might I add. But just remember to use the power wisely, namely, to your advantage." She smiled at Elly and Elly smiled back. They got out of the car.

Elly followed her grandmother up the driveway, and into the house full of memories—of her parents', and of her aunt and uncle's, and of all of the things she'd missed out of because of the divorce and the splitting up of she and Haley.

And she knew she wouldn't leave this place until things changed, new memories were made, and everything was made right.

NEWPORT

Kirsten's grand plan was that she would drive Elly back, and Sandy would bring Ryan back just a little later. Ryan would surprise everyone. Elly and Ryan would make up, while Elly was still being Haley. Then a little bit after that, Marissa and Haley would arrive, shocking everyone further. First Summer and Marissa would make up. Then Elly and Haley would switch back, explaining everything to everyone, which would cause Ryan and Marissa to get back together, and everything would be as happy and perfect as it was sixteen years ago, before the whole mess occurred. It was like rewinding past the crying and the pain and the disaster, and starting afresh.

But nothing in Newport Beach, California, ever worked according to plan. Ever.

"I'm so excited to see the twins!" Summer squealed. She and Seth were sitting in Kirsten and Sandy's living room. Their kids would be coming over later that night for dinner. Kirsten had gone to pick up "Haley", and Sandy was at the office, and would be back soon.

"They won't mind we're early, right?" Haley asked nervously as Marissa drove an SUV into the Cohens' driveway. She noticed Kirsten's car was gone, as was Sandy's, but her uncle's car was parked outside. She hoped that everyone had simply switched cars for a while, and that Ryan and Elly had already arrived. Otherwise, this would be hugely awkward. She loved her Aunt Summer, but Summer still carried enormous animosity towards Marissa, and Haley had to admit she was nervous.

"Of course not. This is Sandy and Kirsten we're talking about. The nicest people in the world." Marissa got out of the car and Haley followed awkwardly after her. Marissa, beaming, rang the doorbell.

"I'll get it," Summer said to Seth when they heard the bell. "Must be Kirsten. I guess she forgot her keys." She walked to the foyer and casually opened the front door. "Hey Kirs—" she began, but then her eyes widened and she froze. "Oh my god."

"Um, hi, Sum," Marissa said uneasily, looking down.

"What the F(!!!) are you doing here?" Summer screamed. Seth ran to the door to his wife.

"Sum, what's going on?" He asked. Then he saw the woman on the other end of the door. "Oh, wow, um, hey, Marissa."

"Seth," Marissa returned awkwardly, nodding a greeting.

"Cohen!" Summer shrieked, jabbing him with her elbow. She looked at Marissa coldly. "Kirsten didn't warn us you were coming," she pouted.

"Warn you?" Haley laughed, stepping over the threshold of the doorway and hugging her aunt. She realized that it was up to her to cut the tension. "Like we were a disease? Good one. I'm Elly, your niece. I guess I haven't seen you in 16 years. But I know everything about you." She lied, loving lying in Elly's shoes. She smiled to herself when she saw Marissa's gaping, yet pleased, face.

"I—I—" Summer said uncomfortably.

"We're so happy you're back!" Seth enthused, helping Haley out with a wink. "God, it feels like a second ago you were as small as a pudding cup."

Haley laughed. Seth put his arm around Summer and shot his wife a look.

"Elly," she said eventually, hugging her back finally. "I'm glad you're home, sweetie. Come on in, please."

Marissa watched Summer usher her daughter into the house like she was her own. Marissa had always subconsciously knew that Summer would never have anything against Elly, but she hated herself for not letting Elly have the family she knew as being supportive, loving, kind—at least, usually—to help her grow up. Especially, Marissa thought to herself bitterly, because she herself had never been their for her daughter.

"Hey Cosmo Girl!" Seth called, laughing. "Get a move on!" He smiled at her. Marissa knew that Seth had forgiven her with those words. She remembered the nickname she'd given her.

"Sorry, Ironist," She giggled back. Seth laughed and put his arms around her, and she hugged him back.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into his shoulder, knowing he'd know what she meant. He did.

"You were forgiven sixteen years minus a day ago," he told her back.

"Thanks," she replied. She hadn't said thanks in a while and she hadn't meant it in longer. But this time she meant it. She knew that with Seth on her side, maybe she could end the battle with Summer. The Fantastic Four had been her entire support system in high school, along with the guiding kindness of Kirsten and Sandy. After the divorce, she hadn't had a support system, and she hadn't given one to Elly. She realized now that that was what had ruined she and her daughter's relationship, what had made Elly's life so painful and caught up with drama and alcohol and problems. But now Seth had forgiven her, and they were going in a good direction. Seth and Marissa walked to meet "Elly" and Summer in the living room, and Marissa felt better than she had in a long time.

NEWPORT

"So, Marissa," Seth said when they were all caught in an awkward silence in the living room. "What have you been up to?"

"I've been pretty busy, modeling," Marissa admitted. "But I'm going to take some time off, I think. Elly and I haven't spent much time together, recently."

Haley stared at Marissa, shocked. She was thrilled—this would only make a Ryan/Marissa union easier. But she ached for Elly, who still detested her mother and thought she would never change. Haley had always been naïve, but it seemed Marissa was really making a turnaround. Haley wished Elly could see that.

"Wow," Seth nodded. "We saw the—what was it, one of those Italian designers, some ad campaign. It was great."

"Armani," Marissa laughed. "Thanks."

"So you've finally realized you're a suckass mother?" Summer asked rudely.

"Sum!" Seth gasped.

"What? It's true. Everyone knows it," Summer said bitterly. "Just like everyone knew you were a terrible wife, too."

Marissa blushed and felt her eyes burn. She didn't want to hear these stories, hear the accusations, feel the pain and the embarrassment and the shame wash over her again. She had tried so hard to push those memories out of her mind—because the feeling of being raped, and then being exposed on the internet, and watching everyone look at you with disgust and condescension, had ruined her and her relationships, and she couldn't bear to experience all that again.

"I have to go," Marissa whispered, a hot tear gliding slowly, pristinely, down her perfect cheek. Haley stood to go help her mother, but Marissa sprinted out of the house before she could do anything. Haley, Summer, and Seth watched Marissa run down the driveway, exit the iron gates, and run down the road, moving faster than they thought possible. Within seconds, it seemed, the dark, looming clouds closed over Newport, and slowly it began to rain, within two minutes of Marissa's departure turning into a heavy, thunderous, rain; lightning began to flash repeatedly in the dark sky.

"I should go get her," Haley said quietly. She grabbed Marissa's purse off the table and fished her keys out of it.

"I'm sorry," Seth whispered to Haley as she walked to the door.

"Too late," Haley said coldly, narrowing her eyes at her frowning aunt, who had not spoken. Haley was furious at her aunt. She had ruined the plan with her nasty, angry words.

"Can I drive you…" Seth offered helplessly, wanting to make things right though he knew that at this point that wasn't possible.

"No," Haley said simply. She left the house, got into the seat of Marissa's SUV, and carefully pulled out of the driveway. She was on more than just a search to find Marissa. She was on a search to find the truth. And she was on a search to find her mom.

NEWPORT

"Is that Sandy's car?" Kirsten thought out loud as she drove.

"I wouldn't know," Elly laughed.

"It is!" Kirsten said triumphantly. She honked the horn and pulled over, Sandy doing the same. It was pouring; large raindrops crashed noisily on the windshield as the wipers attempted diligently to push them away. The sky was a dark charcoal gray, but the bright orange-pink of the setting sun peeked out through the crack between the dark sky and the horizon; everything's color was skewed by the brilliant, dark-toned colors trying to escape from behind the thick clouds, their obstacle.

"Hey, honey!" Sandy called, cracking his window open a tiny bit.

"Hales?" Ryan called. "Are you okay?"

"Dad?" Elly replied. "I'm sorry! I'm just….sorry."

"It's okay, honey," Ryan replied. "I'm sorry too."

"Are Seth and Summer at our place?" Sandy asked.

"Yeah," Kirsten nodded. "Hold on, I have a message from them on my cell. Let me see what's going on. It sounds urgent." They waited as she listened to the message, her jaw dropping and her eyes widening.

"What happened?" Elly whispered. "Is everything working out right?"

"Shit," Kirsten swore as she hung up the phone. "Shit, shit, shit."

"Honey?" Sandy inquired nervously. Kirsten rarely cursed.

"I have to tell them," Kirsten whispered under her breath so only Elly could hear. "Haley and Marissa arrived, Summer was nasty, and Marissa ran off. Haley went to go find her, she's driving. It's not safe…"

"Kirsten?" Sandy asked worriedly.

"Dad?" Elly said in a quivering voice, knowing what she had to do. She was upset that Haley wasn't with her. But nothing ever turned out as expected; it was Newport. She had to do this.

"Yeah?" Ryan asked. Elly got out of the car, standing in the middle of Kirsten and Sandy's cars, becoming wet, crying harder than she thought she ever had.

"I'm not Haley!" she shouted, laughing and crying at the same time. Her feelings were mixed up; she was happy and sad and embarrassed and exuberant that the burden had finally been lifted.

"What?" Ryan asked, confused. "What's going on?"

"I'm Elly!" She laughed. "We switched. Me and Haley."

"So you've been…" Ryan said, almost choking from surprise. He gasped.

"I've been living with you, pretending to be Haley, and vice versa," Elly said, smiling. "So Haley and Marissa were coming this weekend, too, and we planned it all out so that you guys would meet again…but Marissa ran off because Summer said something mean? And Haley took the car and drove off to find her."

"Oh my god," Ryan said incredulously, still unable to believe what the girls had pulled off. Haley. Elly. Marissa. He didn't even know what he felt. All he could hear at that moment was the rain, pounding on the car roof, drowning out all sounds of his feelings and thoughts. He looked out at the vast grayness that constituted the Newport sky, and he knew, all of a sudden, where Marissa was. He had to find her.

"Sandy? Can I drive?" Ryan asked suddenly.

"Of course," Sandy replied, in shock himself. Kirsten smiled.

"Go with your dad," Kirsten urged Elly, who nodded, and slid into Sandy's car, soaking wet. Sandy sat besides Kirsten. "Call us!" Kirsten motioned to Ryan. And with that the two cars drove off. Ryan drove furiously, knowing where he was going, exactly.


	27. Chapter 27

NEWPORT

Marissa ran like she had never run before. She hadn't run like she was running since ninth grade, when she'd been on the tennis team at Harbor. She remembered her family back then, when they all went to her championships. Jimmy, cheering wildly, his arm around Julie, smiling proudly that her daughter was doing something that the community would approve and congratulate her for. Even Kaitlin sat there, smiling at her sister, proud to have such an important, talented sister. Marissa also remembered when Elly had told her about her own tennis championships. She remembered how there had been a photo shoot, or a press conference, or a meeting. She remembered how she hadn't shown up in all the years Elly had played tennis. Marissa wondered if she'd shown up to the tennis matches, if Elly would have been happier, more sound. She didn't know, and she really didn't want to know. Maybe Summer had been right. A suckass mother, she thought to herself sourly. And a terrible wife. Maybe she didn't deserve being a mom. Maybe she should let Elly go back to Ryan, like he wanted. She had never been fit for motherhood; Elly's escapades proved that.

Marissa knew where she was going. A very few things had ever given her comfort in life. She had never found in her new life—not the modeling, or the acting, or the mansion, or the famous friends and the parties. Looking back at her life, she had only been comforted by Ryan and her daughters and alcohol. And somehow she'd let Ryan and both daughters slip away, and she knew alcohol blocked out the pain rather than comforting her. She knew she was running to the lifeguard stand, because it was the place that she always put with Ryan in her mind. She remembered high school, sitting there, usually crying and drinking, with Ryan's strong, protective arms around her. She did not know how she had let that feeling go.

She saw it, then, a small, wooden structure with chipping gray paint and a broken banister. Same as always. It was sitting on the wet sand, overlooking the deep blue waves, crashing repeatedly, that made Newport a Beach. She wished her life had had consistency, like the lifeguard stand, and she ran to it like she had never run to anything before. She was now soaked, and she knew how terrible she must look—the modeling had always taken a toll on her, and she knew that as she aged she was becoming thinner, more worn—especially in her paper-thin (and now completely sheer due to the fact it was soaked) C&C California t-shirt and silk skirt. She was soaked through, she felt her stringy, wet blond hair, and her skin dripped with water.

"Mom!" She heard a familiar voice call. Elly.

"Mom!" An identical voice called, yet from the opposite side of the beach. It had to be Haley.

"Marissa!" She heard another voice call. Ryan. She knew his voice better than she knew anything else, and she remembered the days after the breakup, when she would watch their wedding video, cry as he made a poignant, perfect toast, sob as they kissed passionately as they became man and wife.

"Mom!" "Mom!" "Marissa!"

Marissa heard the voice swirl around her, and suddenly she was accosted by the images of the three people she loved most, yet wanted least to see her at that moment. She felt weak and dizzy, their wet figures churning around in her mind.

"They switched places," Ryan sighed. "You've had Haley. I've had Elly."

"Are you joking?" Marissa gasped incredulously. "Haley? Elly?"

"Yeah?" They asked, in unison, before hugging tightly, glad to see each other. Both girls began crying softly. Their plan had gone a little awry, but everything was as they had wanted. The two of them, reunited. Their parents, reunited. It was all they had ever wanted.

"My babies," Marissa said, smiling through her tears. She pulled them both next to her, trying to envelop both in a hug. All three cried like they never had before, soaked to the bone and yet infinitely happy.

Ryan watched the three of them, and he didn't know how or when everything had changed. But he knew that everything was going to change even more. "My girls," he said, and sat down on the other side of the girls, grinning at Marissa over their heads.

It was something like none of them had ever dreamed—it was picture-perfect; it was a fairy tale. It was a pair of identical twins once forced apart joined together once more; it was a star-crossed couple given one more chance; it was a family reunited.

Because even in Newport Beach, fairy tales can happen.


	28. Chapter 28

NEWPORT

The four of them—Marissa, Ryan, Haley, and Elly—sat in the rain on the lifeguard stand for a long time. They knew that if they broke the silence, the moment would end, and everything would go back to how it always was with the four of them, the shouting, the crying, the drinking, the switching, the splitting up, and the regrets.

Elly shivered. She had to say something. The question was still burning the back of her mind. She knew it would probably ruin the serene peacefulness, the sound of the rain on the old lifeguard stand's wood, but it pierced her mind.

"Mom, what did you do?" She asked quietly. It was what she and Haley had been wondering for a while. It couldn't have just been a messy split, this was more than that. Haley had seen Summer's contorted, livid face when Marissa was at the door. Elly had seen Ryan's fury and pained face when he had found the vodka. They both knew there was more to the story than rumored affairs and falling out of love.

Marissa's eyes brimmed with tears, though she had always known that she would have to tell the story to her daughter—daughters—someday. She took a long, slow, breath, taking in the moment and the quiet happiness of her relationships with the people around her, knowing all too well that after she told the girls what had happened, it could all be dashed. It would be so easy for the girls to want to go back to New York with Ryan, forget Marissa, and start their new life. But she had to tell the truth.

"I drank," she said simply, quietly, "For a long time. I still do, more than I should. Ryan and I had been fighting a lot, and I had been drinking more than usual. After one particularly nasty fight, I took my flask and just left."

"What happened?" Haley urged.

"I was in a bad neighborhood. Someone took advantage of me; I never figured out who it was. He took me back to his apartment, raped me, and videotaped it."

"Oh my god," Elly gasped.

"Then he got me to sign some sort of release paper, and I was drunk out of my mind, I don't remember a thing, and he put the video on the internet. It was forwarded around, and everyone saw it."

"Oh my…" Haley's eyes bulged.

"And…" Marissa began, biting her lip to try to keep from sobbing. "Everything in my life just fell apart."

"How can you tell it like that, Marissa?" Ryan asked, standing up, enraged. "How can you pretend that that's what happened?"

"That IS what happened," Marissa said, coldly, hating when Ryan got like this, how he doubted her, how he was so untrusting.

"How can you say you didn't know who that man was?" Ryan shouted.

"And you know?" Marissa asked sarcastically.

"You weren't drunk enough to classify that as rape," Ryan said. "You cheated on me, Marissa. That's all that that was."

"How can you say I cheated on you? I loved you, Ryan. How was I supposed to fight off a stranger who grabbed me on the street?"

"He wasn't a stranger," Ryan reminded her.

"He was a random guy on the street! He was a stranger!" Marissa cried.

"How is Kevin Volchek a stranger?" Ryan screamed. "How the f(…) is Volchek a stranger to you?"

"It was…Kevin?" Marissa whispered, her blue eyes becoming saucers, floating upon her face. Her skin was pale and ashy, and she shivered in her emaciated frame.

"You didn't realize that?" Ryan asked quietly.

"You did?" Marissa asked back, sadly.

"I thought you knew…" Ryan said, looking down.

"You knew…" Marissa whispered.

Both were lost in their own little worlds. Again, lack of communication had devoured their relationship, tearing it to pieces because they never spoke about their feelings.

"I can't believe this," Elly said, standing up, looking at her parents, both dazed and confused. "You two never actually discussed Mom's porno partner?"

"We were too busy…fighting, working…" Marissa said, breathing raggedly. Her face was white and waxy, and she was shaking slightly.

"How did we let this happen?" Ryan asked himself quietly, not looking up.

"Mom?" Haley asked. Marissa had slumped over; her eyes closed. "Mom? Mom!"

Marissa lay on the wood deck of the place where she'd always been the most at home, curled up, wet and cold, a scared expression lying on her pale face, but those brilliant blue eyes closed to the world.

NEWPORT

"She'll be okay, right?" Haley asked quietly, sitting next to Elly on a red plastic chair in the hospital room. Ancient magazines and similarly distressed strangers sat around them.

"I don't know," Elly whispered. They both looked over to Ryan, who was shouting and filling out forms at the reception desk. "They're in love."

"Yeah, no joke," Haley snorted. "Look at him."

"Someday everything will work out for all of us," Elly said, trailing off as Ryan approached them.

"Two at a time. You girls can go in first, if you want. She'll probably be asleep, but she'll be okay." Ryan sighed, plopping down next to Elly.

"Ready, sis?" Haley grinned. Elly nodded, with a small smile, and the girls linked arms.

"They yours?" A balding, mustached man wearing a green turtleneck a few seats away from Ryan asked.

"Yeah. My daughters," Ryan said with a smile, as he watched the two blond heads walk around the corner, headed for his ex-wife's hospital room.

"Twins?" The man clarified, and Ryan nodded. "They're so alike, it's scary."

"Yep," Ryan agreed, as he watched their bobbing heads disappear. They had the same walk; long, striding, steps that matched perfectly, their feet lining up exactly.

MARISSA'S ROOM

"Mom?" Elly whispered when she walked into the room. Marissa was lying on the bed, drowned in the sheets, awake, but pale and weak. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Marissa said with a small smile. "Just…a lot to take in. For one night."

"Yeah," Haley agreed. "Definitely."

"Come here," Marissa beckoned. "I need a hug. I can't believe you two pulled it off."

"I can't believe you didn't figure it out," Elly laughed. She turned to Haley. "I can't believe you kept the secret."

"Hey! I didn't think you would, with the whole Aiden-Graham issue," Haley smirked. "How did that turn out, by the way?"

"Aiden-Graham issue?" Marissa asked, intrigued. "Was there a boyfriend aspect to this whole thing? Wow. I'm impressed. Tell me everything."

Elly beamed. "I kind of went on a date with this really hot guy Graham when I was with Grandma, and then I had to be Haley, and so I had to like this guy she was dating Aiden."

"I had to go shopping with Chelsea and Lex," Haley complained. "And then one of those ridiculous, not-fun parties."

"They're fun!" Elly argued.

"Yeah, if you drink so much you don't remember them the next day," Haley said sourly.

"Hey!" Elly said. "Uncalled for."

"And so true," Haley teased.

"Anyway, I told Graham about the switch. He won't talk to me; I've called him," Elly sighed.

"You told him?" Haley asked incredulously.

"You told your grandma," Elly returned.

"Kirsten knew?" Marissa groaned. "You could have told me, you know." The girls exchanged a look and giggled.

"That would have defeated the purpose," Elly reminded her mother.

"And by the way, I told Lex she was a lying, bitchy, pathetic excuse for a friend," Haley remembered.

"That's okay," Elly laughed. "She is."

"She so is," Marissa added. "I mean, if you have to go buy out Barneys and drink and cut and who knows what else, I'd rather you do it with Chelsea, than Lex."

"Me too," Elly smiled. Then she became serious. "Although I'm over that. Okay, Mom? I promise."

Marissa smoothed Elly's hair. "I know, sweetie. I know." She put her arm around Haley on her other side. "Things are going to be different now."

"Good," Haley said firmly, perching on the right side of Marissa's bed.

"It's about time," Elly smiled, sliding onto the left.

The Cooper-Atwood girls hugged, Ryan watching them from the hallway outside through the glass window. He smiled, hearing the last part of their conversation. Things were going to be different.


	29. Chapter 29

NEWPORT

"Hey, girls?" Ryan asked as he walked into Marissa's hospital room a half hour later.

"Yeah, Dad?" They answered in unison. Marissa laughed. Ryan cracked a smile.

"Could you let your mom and I talk alone for a minute?" Ryan asked. Elly and Haley exchanged an excited glance.

"Oh, of course," Elly grinned.

"Take as long as you need," Haley assured him slyly. The girls left the room, giggling all the while.

"How are you holding up?" Ryan asked lightly, sitting down on the chair next to her bed. He touched the IV pole delicately.

"Fine," Marissa replied, forcing a smile, putting on an air of nonchalance that even her acting could not feign.

"The doctors told me what happened," Ryan said quietly, looking down.

"I was surprised. I fainted." Marissa set her jaw firmly, looking stubborn and just as cute as she had when she made the same face back in high school.

"That, and you were dehydrated, and severely underweight," Ryan reminded her. Marissa looked away from his penetrating gaze. "Look, I'm not scolding you. I'm just worried."

"Right. Another point to add to your list of reasons for you to get full custody, huh?" Marissa said bitterly. Ryan's mouth opened to speak, but she continued. "The girls filled me in."

"Come on, Marissa. I'm over that. I can see now that—" he began.

"I'm an okay mother?" Marissa challenged, her eyes fiery, her voice passionate.

"They need you," Ryan said quietly.

"Well, they need you too," Marissa said, frustrated. Her face softened. "We screwed up."

"What were we thinking?" Ryan asked, laughing. "Were we crazy?"

"Crazily mad," Marissa laughed back. She hadn't laughed in so long. Her mouth ached from smiling so much in such a short period of time. She had forgotten those basic functions: laughter, smiling, happiness. Those emotions had escaped her for sixteen years. She wanted things to really change; to be able to be happy again.

"But Marissa, what's going on? With you?" Ryan asked, breaking the moment. He knew what he was doing. But he couldn't let them stray off subject. He was concerned for her, worried.

"I'm fine," Marissa maintained. "Nothing is going on with me. I've been really busy; stressed out."

"No kidding," Ryan commented.

"Please don't do this," Marissa sighed, closing her eyes tightly as if to block out what was going on between them. "I really can't deal with this."

"Then let me help you!" Ryan argued.

"That's the thing, Ryan," Marissa lashed back, gathering her strength. "Some people just need to work things out on their own. You have this savior thing, like everyone needs help all the time."

"Okay, well, working things out on your own doesn't seem to be working, since the doctors don't think you've eaten a real meal in weeks." Ryan hated to fight with her, but he also couldn't let these issues slip by. He had let them slip by too often while they were tiptoeing around, pretending their relationships was perfect. He had a chance now, to make sure she was alright and safe and happy, so that she could be part of their daughters' lives without hurting them too like she had so often subconsciously hurt him during their relationship.

"I eat," Marissa said, bordering on hysterical. "You know I've always been thin, Ryan."

"Not like this, though," Ryan admitted. "You were too thin in high school, and you're skinnier than you were then."

"Just let me work this out on my own!" Marissa shouted at him, her eyes becoming large in her rage. "Let me handle myself!"

"I'm just concerned!" Ryan yelled. "I'm worried and I'm freaked out and I just want to f(…)ing help you, Marissa! You look sick! You passed out! What's going on?"

The tears rolled slowly down her pale porcelain cheeks, tempting Ryan's strong thumb that had wiped them off for so many years and yet not in such a long time. Soon the tears became loud, painful, gut-wrenching sobs that wracked her weak body and shook her thin frame.

Ryan couldn't handle it. She was still the girl who had captured his heart. He could not bear to watch her in pain. He slid onto the bed beside her, wiped the tears off her face with his finger, both of them feeling the electricity from their skin touching. He wrapped his strong, protective arms around her thin shoulders, and held her as she stopped shaking. She had missed that feeling, with his arms holding her close, for so many years. She savored the comfort of having them around her once more. He held her, lying there with her, listening as her tears subsided.

Haley and Elly peeked through the glass at their parents, exchanging a victorious, triumphant high five as they saw the scene before them, before returning back to the waiting room.


	30. Chapter 30

KIRSTEN AND SANDY'S

Two days had passed. Marissa, Ryan, Elly, and Haley were staying with Kirsten and Sandy. Marissa and Ryan were in an awkward friendship, tiptoeing around each other to avoid having to deal with their problems. Just like the old days. The girls were attached, identical, and loving it. Seth had come over several times, catching up with Marissa, Ryan, and his nieces, but they had not yet had another encounter with Summer, and Elly and Haley had not seen their cousins either.

Kirsten had a large burden as well. The phone conversation with Jimmy she'd kept to herself still haunted her; she knew she had to tell Marissa what was happening. Marissa hadn't spoken to Jimmy for several years after high school, and they were finally reconciling when the first big family drama in a long time had occurred. Kirsten remembered the day the hospital had called and confirmed the death of her beloved sister Hailey. Hailey and Jimmy had maintained a friendship while they were apart, and when Hailey went to Hawaii to visit a friend, Jimmy had been desperate for them to continue their romance where it had left off. When Hailey said no to him, Jimmy drank enough beer to send him over the edge into drunkenness, and he had crashed the car he was driving and she was sitting in. Jimmy had been pretty much ostracized from the family. Hailey's memory lived on, however. Haley had been named for her great-aunt.

"Hey, Marissa," Kirsten said, surprised, when she walked into the kitchen early Monday morning. Sun shone brightly through the window, warming the cheery room. Marissa was perched upon a stool, sipping coffee slowly from one of the classic Cohen green mugs.

"Hi, Kirsten," Marissa smiled. "Good morning."

"Good morning to you too," Kirsten returned. "Any more of that coffee?"

"Absolutely," Marissa nodded, passing a pot to her ex-mother-in-law.

"I wanted to tell you something," Kirsten said honestly, knowing what she had to do. She mustered up her courage.

"Sure," Marissa said.

"It's about your dad," Kirsten sighed. Marissa's face paled and became a shade of ashy gray. She angered slightly, shifting her position on the stool.

"What does he want?" Marissa asked bitterly, knowing he had to want something. It was Jimmy Cooper. He always wanted something; needed something. Generally, money. He had contacted Marissa two or three times in the past few years, wanting financial help. Marissa had ignored the phone calls. He had time and time again disappointed her, let her down, abandoned her. And then the whole thing with Hailey…she wanted their relationship over.

"He wants to talk to you," Kirsten said. Marissa frowned. "Look, I'm no more enthusiastic about being in contact with him than you. Hailey was my sister."

Marissa nodded. "Why now? He wants to talk to me? I guess he thinks he can get his cash that way."

"I don't think that's his goal," Kirsten admitted quietly. "He's dying, Marissa. Cancer."

Marissa closed her eyes slowly, breathing deeply. It wasn't that she was extremely upset; Jimmy hadn't been a big part of her life since she was sixteen. He'd left her, and then again, and then he'd killed the woman who was more or less her aunt. She couldn't forgive him; she couldn't make herself sad about her father.

"How long…" she trailed off, lost in a train of thought.

"Soon," Kirsten admitted. "I think he's just…sorry."

"I'm sorry, too," Marissa said calmly. "Sorry everything turned out the way it did."

"Me too," Kirsten agreed.

"But I guess I should forgive him. I can't hold a grudge forever," Marissa sighed, staring out the window into the bright Newport day. The infinity pool glistened in the golden light, its pure turquoise color inviting and beautiful. In the distance, the beach, its sandy dunes and expanses, the deep sea blue waves even further, calling out to surfers and sailors. Marissa had looked at the features of Newport so often in her childhood. She had swum in that pool. She had laughed and cried on that beach. But now it all seemed different to her. Everything had changed. Not everything was the perfect, glittering bubble it once was. In high school, it was a beautiful world splattered with the dramas of the rich and the famous. Now, it was a cruel, miserable world splattered with the happy moments, the laughter and the smiles. She didn't know when that had changed. Sometime after the divorce.

"Nope," Kirsten said. She handed Marissa the portable phone. "And neither can Summer."

Marissa stared at the phone for a long, long time.

SETH AND SUMMER'S

"Hey," Seth said, walking into the kitchen where Summer sat with her magazine. She looked up at him, dark rings encircled her eyes. She had been awake for hours, unable to sleep. "Are you feeling okay?"

"There's something I have to tell you," Summer said quietly. "But I'm afraid you'll get mad."

"What is it?" Seth asked, going over to her and wrapping an arm around her waist. "I promise I won't. We'll deal with whatever it is, together."

"Hey, Mom. Dad," Julia said, walking into the kitchen, opening the fridge and taking out a carton of orange juice. She took a glass and began to pour. Summer looked down, skimming the page of Vogue once more.

"Morning, Jules," Seth said. "Need a ride?"

"Dani's coming," Julia explained, giving the usual answer. "With her brother." Dani was Julia's best friend, the Marissa to her Summer. Dani's brother was often roped into driving the girls to school.

"Okay," Seth nodded.

"Wait," Evan called, the oldest Cohen son, bounding in just as Julia was about to place the orange juice back on the top shelf of the fridge. She held it out to him, and he quickly unscrewed the cap, tilted in back, and chugged the rest of the juice, slam-dunking the empty carton into the trashcan just as Seth and Summer opened their mouths to speak. "By the way, your little Brooke spent the night at Cole's. So don't be surprised when you like, go upstairs, and she's not there."

"Thank you, Evan," Seth said. "For saving us the trip upstairs."

"Course," Evan nodded. "Bye!" He and Julia walked out of the kitchen. Summer buried her face in a Ralph Lauren ad.

"What the hell are we going to do with her?" Seth ranted.

"I don't know," Summer groaned. "But we need to do something, before she turns into a Marissa."

"Remember Volchek?" Seth laughed. "Was that a great phase, or what?"

Summer smiled slightly. "I forgot about him."

"I think we all did," Seth returned. "Possibly purposefully."

"What a jackass," Summer said, shaking her head.

"So what did you have to tell me?" Seth asked, remembering the conversation they'd begun before Julia and Evan had come in.

"Well—" Summer started, working up her courage.

"Dad? Mom?" Zoe whined, entering the kitchen. "Can you drive me to school?"

"Can't you call someone?" Seth groaned.

"No?" Zoe replied. "Please?"

"I'll take her," Seth sighed. "We'll talk later, okay, Sum?"

"Yeah, it's fine," Summer said faintly.

"You sure you're okay?" Seth asked worriedly. She was pale, tired, and withdrawn.

"Yeah," Summer nodded.

"Bye, baby," he said, kissing her cheek as he ran out the door to bring Zoe to school.

Summer touched her stomach lightly as she turned the page of her magazine.

SANDY AND KIRSTEN'S

Ryan sat at table on the patio, going over the plans for the building in London over and over again, and yet getting nowhere. Too much was going on. There were so many decisions he needed to make. He looked through the glass of the windows of the pool house, and saw his two daughters painting each other's nails. He sighed. He looked the other way, through the glass of the main house's windows, and saw Marissa staring at the phone and sipping a mug of coffee. He sighed again. Too many decisions to make.

He knew that they had to talk. As a family. The next day would be the first day of school both girls would be skipping, and who knew how long it would take to figure out what city they'd be living in, let alone school and whose house and what sort of arrangement. He and Marissa hadn't talked either, not really, not since she was in the hospital.

"Decisions, decisions," Sandy smiled, approaching Ryan. Ryan looked up at him.

"Yeah."

"What are you going to do?" Sandy asked curiously.

"Great question," Ryan groaned. "Realistically, we could just…live here. In Newport."

"But nothing's realistic. Especially not in Newport," Sandy chuckled.

"That's for sure," Ryan nodded. "I don't know if I can work from here. The girls want to be together, but academically, and socially…"

"Sending anyone into the world of the Newpsies is tough," Sandy smiled.

"Exactly," Ryan said. "I mean, with Elly's partying, and Haley's schoolwork…I just don't want to make a bad move, literally or figuratively."

"Have you talked to Marissa?" Sandy asked. They both looked in at Marissa, who was now on the phone, close to tears. Ryan gulped.

"Not exactly. Not since the hospital," he explained. "We've been putting it off."

"I can tell," Sandy said dryly. "Talk to her. Make a decision. As long as they're together, the girls will be fine."

"Here's to hoping so," Ryan said with a small smile. "Thanks."

"I happen to be an expert on thrusting bewildered teenagers into the Land of the Newpsies," Sandy laughed. "No problem." Ryan grinned at Sandy. He knew that Sandy was right. He stood to go and talk to Marissa.

SANDY AND KIRSTEN'S KITCHEN

Ryan stood at the kitchen door. He wondered why it was closed; he couldn't remember it being closed in all the years he'd lived there, all the visits he'd made. He could hear Marissa's faint voice and soft crying, and he hoped everything was okay. He made out the last few words.

"Okay, Dad…Yeah, sometime today. Okay. Yeah. Sure. Bye, Dad." She hung up, and he could hear her voice dissolve into sobs after the final beep of turning off the phone. She sat down on a chair, crying.

Ryan opened the door slowly, taking in Marissa, crying once more.

"Hey," he said quietly, approaching her. "What's going on?"

"My dad has cancer," Marissa said, her eyes full of pain and hatred, yet sorrow as well.

"Oh my god," Ryan said incredulously. "I'm so sorry, Riss."

Riss. That nickname. The name he hadn't called her since the day she left their apartment for good, Elly in her arms. She had replayed his voice in her head hundreds of thousands of times since that day, wishing that someday someone would call her Riss again. And there was someone. Ryan. Again. She was Riss again. She felt a warm, happy feeling rise up inside her, calming down her sobs.

"Ry," she said quietly, testing out his old nickname again. He grinned.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it," he said warmly.

"Yeah," she replied. "It has," she echoed faintly.

"I never said this, before, but I'm sorry. We should have talked. And we let our issues get to us, just like always. I'm sorry if it seemed like I was unconcerned, or like I didn't care. Because I do, Riss, I care so much—" he said, cut off abruptly by her.

"I know," she said quietly, and before he could speak or close his mouth or do another thing, she pressed her lips against his, and they knew that the love they had for one another had never been erased, but simply lost for a while. Because life is a big game of lost and found. You lose things, you find things, but all the while you know who is really in your heart and who should stay there.


	31. Together

a/n: i am so incredibly sorry for the delays here! this is the last chapter of the parent trap. i know originally (on the fox boards) it was much longer, with a lot of side characters and more seth and summer involvement, but this is where it's going to end right now. i have a new story, focusing on seth and summer, partially written- it'll be up sometime soon.

thank you for continuing to read and review. you readers are, as always, the best!

THE POOLHOUSE

"Check this out," Haley said, as she wandered around the poolhouse. She held a picture frame up to show her sister.

"Long time ago," Elly commented when she saw the picture. Ryan, Marissa, Seth, and Summer were at some sort of fair or carnival. They were all smiling, happy, excited.

"Yeah," Haley sighed. "All these pictures are of Mom and Dad, in like, high school."

"Dad lived in this poolhouse," Elly mentioned. "Grandma told me."

"I know," Haley nodded. "It just seems weird. It's been so long since they've actually been together. And then they have this whole high school relationship we knew nothing about."

"We were totally scammed," Elly laughed. She inspected her manicure nonchalantly. "I'm kinda bored."

"I kinda am too," Haley returned. "We can go drive to the diner. I think I know how to get here."

"Great," Elly said, picking up her oversized Chanel sunglasses and huge Kooba bag. She and Haley had switched back their clothes. Now she had her outrageous, showy, LA clothes back. And Haley could go back to being her classic, preppy New York self. "Let's go tell Mom and Dad."

The two girls left the pool house, walked past the pool, and into the house. When they walked into the kitchen, they immediately noticed their parents in that just-before-a-kiss state. Their blue eyes were locked, penetrating one another's intensely. Their expressions, just full of hidden love and dreaminess. Both girls watched as they finally embraced, Marissa's lips moving fast as Ryan's met them just as quickly, finally coming together again for the first time in sixteen years. The girls held hands, holding on for life, as Ryan and Marissa stayed like that for several moments. They hardly believed the sight before them. Ryan and Marissa's chemistry was undeniable; love and lust and adoration seeped from their parents. Soon, the girls realized they would be seen, ran from the room, wrote a brief note, and headed out to the car, driving away before their parents had any idea of what they had seen.

They continued holding hands until Elly had driven them down the driveway and onto the road. Finally, they released hands, grinning their pearly white—and identical—smiles bigger than ever before. Everything really was going to be okay.

KIRSTEN AND SANDY'S

"Wait," Marissa said, breathing heavily, as she pried her lips away from Ryan's. "What are we doing?"

"Kissing?" Ryan asked, smiling a little.

"I mean," Marissa said, choosing her words carefully, "You live in New York. With one of our daughters. I live in LA. With the other. What's going on with us? What will the girls say? What are we going to do?"

Ryan put his hand over hers. "Whatever you want to do. But I—" He inhaled sharply, knowing that this was the one moment, the one chance he had, to show her his true feelings. Despite that shell around his heart he'd so carefully built growing up, and then rebuilt after his divorce, he knew what he had to do. "I love you, Marissa. I never really stopped. And I want to be with you...always."

"I love you too," Marissa said, looking up into his eyes meaningfully. "These past years have been…"

"Hell," Ryan laughed to himself. Marissa grinned, relieved they were on the same page.

"What do you say we try again?" He asked.

"I want that more than anything," Marissa admitted quietly.

"Me too," Ryan replied. He kissed her on the lips gently, but the passion between them was inevitable. She slipped her tongue into his mouth, and he accepted gladly. Soon they were lying on the couch, making out passionately. His hands soon began to slide underneath her t-shirt, working their way up her slender torso, reaching the edge of her bra. Hers slid around the waistband of his boxers, unbuttoning his jeans and sliding them down his legs.

Soon her t-shirt and skirt were off and he was working at unclasping her bra. His jeans were in a pile on the floor with his shirt as well. Their lips were joined with the love that had never truly disappeared. And then her panties and his boxers were off, suddenly, and he was on top of her, kissing down her jaw, down her neck. He sucked tenderly at the spot at her collarbone that had always made her go crazy.

"Ry," she moaned in pleasure. She had had enough one-night stands in the past sixteen years to know that nobody would ever make her feel like she did when she was with Ryan. Nobody knew where to touch her, where to hold her, how to make her feel. Nobody knew like Ryan did.

"I love you," he whispered into her ear softly, as he worked his lips down her thin body, lingering on her small and yet, in his eyes, perfect breasts. She yelled out in ecstacy and simultaneously rolled over him, grinning and breathing heavily as she kissed his chest.

"I love you too," she replied. "Do you have…"

He slid on a condom, and they became one like they hadn't in sixteen years.

KIRSTEN AND SANDY'S

"It's two," Marissa pointed out, as she rested her head on Ryan's sweaty, chiseled chest. She could not stop grinning, and both of them were slightly breathless in their excited happiness at finding one another again.

"Where are the girls?" Ryan wondered. "And are we…"

"That's a good question," Marissa remarked. She looked up into his eyes smilingly. "On both counts."

"Do you have to go back to LA?" Ryan whispered.

"Do you have to go back to New York?" Marissa replied.

"We could switch off?" Ryan suggested uneasily.

"But then when will we get to be together?" Marissa pouted.

"Weekends?" Ryan asked hesitantly.

"We'll relocate to Newport," Marissa said dubiously. "As soon as we possibly can. For now, it'll have to work. It's the only way."

"I love you," Ryan said, kissing her forehead.

"I love you too," she responded, curling her body closer to his. "Want to go get lunch?" Her eyes twinkled. She knew he'd be happy. Proud of her. She had Ryan now; her life didn't have to be devoted to the modeling and acting she'd never really loved. Not as much as him, anyway. Never as much as him. It had just been something to fill the blank spaces he'd left in her life sixteen years ago. But nothing had filled up the spaces like he had.

"Great," he smiled broadly. He found her skirt on the floor and passed it to her as he slipped on his own jeans.

They walked out of the room, in love, unsure of their destiny but knowing they'd try harder than anything they'd ever tried to do to keep their relationship as perfect as it was in that moment. Because as they held hands, both felt a warm, bubbly happiness that they hadn't felt for over sixteen years. And everything, in that moment, was perfect.

THE POOLHOUSE

"Can I come in?" Ryan asked, knocking. The girls looked at one another.

"Why?" They called out together. They giggled.

"Your mom and I need to talk to you," Ryan explained through the door.

"Give us two minutes," Haley said after briefly consulting with her sister.

"We'll be on the steps," Ryan replied, sighing in hesitant agreement.

"So now they need to make a game plan, huh?" Marissa laughed lightly as he sat down next to her.

"They've got us completely under their control," Ryan groaned. "They're going to screw us over."

"You think?" Marissa laughed. "Of course they are."

"I want this to work," Ryan admitted. "I want them to be happy. To like this situation."

"I do too," Marissa agreed. "I've spent a long time not noticing whether El was happy or not. I want that to…change."

"I know," he said quietly, putting his arm around her slightly awkwardly. Sure, they'd had sex. But he knows what her life has been like for the past sixteen years. She's been a model; an actress. Hooking up with randoms; whoever was there, whoever had enough alcohol to make her forget how much she hated her life. He wanted to break that pattern, be with her, become what they had once been. He wanted everything to change, too. But there was a nagging uncertainty at the back of his mind that he couldn't get rid of; that he was another name on her checklist of one night stands.

She leaned into him. "But we'll get through it, right?"

"Yeah," he nodded, trying to erase all hints of dubiousness from his voice.

"Together," she whispered, and he understood that she knew what he was feeling. He warmed at their connection, how she always knew what he was thinking. After a moment, he realized that the small lingering sense of invasion, as though his thoughts were no longer his own but hers also, were a result of not having been close to someone in sixteen years, in not having been close to anyone since her. They had a connection that had been loosened, weakened, diminished, changed. But it had never disappeared completely. There had always been that faint glimmer of hope, just barely reaching between both of them, that had lasted sixteen long, chaotic years. Ryan knew that for hope to last sixteen years, there had to be something really special. And as the woman he loved more than any other in his life leaned into him, he knew it was special. It had been hard to find for a period there, but it had always remained—special and close to his heart, just like she was. Just like their daughters were. Just like the family would always be. Special. Close to each other's hearts.

Together.


End file.
